Unexpecting
by Miss Peg
Summary: A night that should change everything, changes everything, but not the way Jane or Maura expect it to.
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note : Hey there again! I'm back, already. This was an idea I had at some point a while ago, but never really did anything with. I'm still working on two big fics, so in the meantime, I shall work on this one. I anticipate it to be a reasonable length, at least a good ten or so chapters. It's hard to predict just how many there'll be. But I hope you'll bear with me, even if it seems...confusing...at first.**

 **Extra Note : Sometimes I use span as a past tense for spin, and people keep telling me it's incorrect - technically it isn't. It is a past tense for spin. It's archaic in usage, according to the internet, but mostly it's a word that some people use in some small areas of the world where English is spoken. It's a pretty common word for people to use where I live, I don't even realise I'm doing it. It's second nature, that's how normal it is here.**

* * *

The baby jumped. The loud thud made them both panic. She wrapped her hands around her enlarged stomach and shushed until the baby stopped doing acrobatics and settled back down against her bladder. The crunch-like splinter of wood cracking apart followed another loud thud. The baby kicked against her abdomen, desperate to get out of its cage.

"Don't," she whispered, struggling to stand beside the bed. She hobbled towards the door, closing it slowly, quietly.

Footsteps pounded the wooden floor out in the living room. A thin wooden door without a lock was no match for him. She pushed a chair up against the handle, holding it in place.

"Kiera!" he shouted, banging his fist upon the centre of the door.

She stepped backward. Her knees collided with the frame of the bed, creating bruises on her calves. The baby wriggled, another foot went out, smashing into her kidney. She twisted around, ignoring the painful joy of her baby's movements.

"Open the fucking door." The handle rattled, colliding with the top of the chair, stopping him from gaining access.

Kiera clambered over the bedsheets. She threw herself full force against the wooden window frame, pushing it up out of its slot. An ear bashing splintering of wood filled the room. She turned quickly, straining the muscles in her neck as she took one brief glance of him before she climbed out of the window.

"No!" He sprang forward. Ignoring the pain shooting down her side, she pulled the window closed and sped off down the fire escape.

She pushed the ladder down at the bottom as he opened the window on the third floor. She could hear him scream out her name as her feet landed on solid ground and she raced off into the night.

x

"I hate you!" Jane shouted, her shoes crunched through fallen leaves. Every other step, the toe disappeared beneath thick sludge.

"You don't," Maura said, stepping over the sodden ground, her walking boots squelched across the earth. She stopped, holding her hand back until Jane connected their fingers and they ambled onwards.

Jane grumbled and pushed her shoes into the soil firmly. "You underestimate my power of hate."

"I underestimate your power of love," Maura said, smirking. She tugged her hand, pulling her onwards.

The trees shrouded them in shadows. Tiny slivers of moonlight found their way through the thick branches. Despite Jane's protests, Maura kept on her path, forcing her to follow. When the rough path opened up to a clearing, Maura stopped. Jane, in her rush to get to their destination, ran into the back of her.

"Whaddya stop for?" she asked, groaning.

Maura let go of her hand and turned to face her. "We're here."

"Here being?"

"Don't you recognise it?" Maura pulled the pack from her back and balanced it on the edge of a tree as she took out a small bottle of champagne and two collapsible glasses. "I should probably wait til after to get out the bubbles, but I'm thirsty."

Narrowing her eyes, Jane folded an arm across her chest, forcefully pushing her other hand into the space between her arm and pit. "No amount of alcohol is going to make up for coming out here tonight. It fucking freezing."

Maura pursed her lips, in an attempt to disguise her smile. She dropped the pack onto the floor and set up the glasses beside it, the bottle between them. "Maybe we will wait. I can see it will take a little more coaxing."

"What are we doing here, Maur?" Jane asked, hugging herself tightly. "I thought we were going somewhere romantic."

She closed the gap, rubbing each hand up and down Jane's upper arms. She could feel Jane's shoulders relax, sinking slightly. Tilting her head to one side, Maura leaned in close. "I promise you, before we leave, dopamine and oxytocin will be travelling around your body."

Leaning forward, Jane lowered her voice. "You brought drugs?"

Maura scoffed. "Of course I didn't. You really don't know where we are?"

"Haven't got a clue," Jane said, rubbing her fingers together so quickly she nearly produced enough heat to start a fire. "Kinda disappointed, though, I thought you were gonna take me on a walk on the wild side."

"The only wild side I had planned was the possibility of sex in the car."

Jane pursed her lips. "Not sure I like the sound of that."

"Why not?" Maura asked. "We could both use some immunoglobulin A. Work has been so busy, I've barely found time to masturbate, let alone have sex with you."

"It's a good job I don't have any champagne in my mouth right now," Jane said, staring at Maura. "Are you gonna tell me what we're doing in the middle of the forest? Is this one of those weirdo tours you like to take me on?"

"Which weirdo tours?" Maura stepped back.

"The abandoned train tour, the haunted shack in the middle of the woods tour, the terrifying fucking doll tour. Are we going on a sex tour?"

"They were educational."

"They were terrifying!"

Maura opened her mouth, then paused. "Would you like to have sex in the forest?"

"No, Maura," Jane said, shaking her head. "Definitely not. Don't even get any ideas."

Maura sighed and stepped forward again. She snaked an arm around Jane's back and kissed her deeply, moving her lips across Jane's as she responded the way she expected. She lowered her hands to Jane's chest as she slipped a tongue into her mouth.

"Down," Maura said, grinning.

Jane rolled her eyes. "Just when it was getting interesting!"

"I thought you didn't want sex outside."

"I don't! But that was…getting me ready for sex back at the house."

"I hope I can top that."

"How?"

"This was the location of our first case together." The condescending look on Jane's face only intensified. "Two young women, slaughtered by a man they shared. They didn't know they shared him, of course. Looked like a murder-suicide. One woman so angry that she killed the other woman, then herself. It was the perfect ruse."

"Until you decided to check for signs of sexual assault," Jane said, a twinkle glistened in her eyes. "I remember. I didn't realise it was here."

"It's much more overgrown. The forest has reclaimed the horror, turning it into a beauty that hides its devastation well."

"What we doing here, Maura?"

She picked up the champagne glasses and handed one to Jane, uncorked the bottle and poured their drinks. "Twelve years have passed since that fall night, and my love for you only grows stronger."

"Aww, shucks," Jane whispered, wiping the back of her shirt sleeve across her eyes.

"Don't." Maura tugged her arm away. "This is what I love about you. You're this tough nut who can scare even the bravest of recruits. That's what makes you such a great cop, and an even better teacher. The Boston Police Academy are lucky to have you."

Jane grunted. "You're gonna turn me into a marshmallow."

"You're already a marshmallow." Maura lifted her hand, turning it over in her palm. She traced her fingertips across the scar in the centre. "You're strong. You've seen the world and barely left Boston. When you moved to DC, my heart broke. When you moved back, I thanked God."

"You don't believe in God."

"I don't need to." Maura choked back tears. "I'm so thankful that we finally found each other, because I don't know what my life would be like now if you weren't in it."

"Not helping," Jane said, letting go of Maura's hand and burrowing her face into the sleeves of her shirt. "You wanna know why I love you?"

"No." Jane's tearful grin faded. Closing the gap, Maura cupped her cheeks. "Not yet. Not until I'm done."

"Hurry up."

"Patience."

"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

"No, I am," Maura said, smirking. She rubbed her palms across Jane's cheeks. "I want to be your wife."

Jane's eyes landed on Maura's. "Pardon?"

"Marry me. It doesn't have to be big, or spectacular. I don't need a white dress, or place settings. If you want to do it at City Hall, I'll take that."

A loud gush of air fell from Jane's parted lips. "You want…"

"I love you. I want to show my commitment to you."

A silence fell between them. Maura waited, her mouth curved, glistening under the moonlight. She'd rehearsed her speech over and over, desperately awaiting the perfect night. The silence went on, and her smile faded.

"Jane?"

"Err, yes," she whispered, no conviction in her voice.

"That's it?"

Maura tossed the champagne down her throat and dropped the glass back into her pack. Another silence followed. The lump in Maura's throat had already started to hurt, her whole body slouched. She turned tail and rushed off through the forest.

"Maura!" Jane shouted, her shoes crunched and squelched with every hurried step.

Tears filled her eyes, making it impossible to see the path ahead clearly. The moonlight dissipated once more. She would have stopped to pull out her flashlight, but a fire raged inside her chest, pushing her onwards.

"Maura, come on!" Jane screeched, struggling to keep pace.

Every step forward was a step closer to home, and a step away from the disaster that had been her proposal. Fresh tears skirted their way down her cheeks. Her knees tightened. She blinked several times, struggling to move across the thick grass.

Her ankle slipped out from under her. Too late. Jane's voice bellowed into the forest. "You're going the wrong way!"

Crying out, Maura's tears increased. She fumbled across the dense brush, pulling herself up with a small branch.

"Hey!" Jane shouted, wrapping her arms around Maura's shoulder. She tensed, but allowed her to guide her back to the footpath. "You okay?"

She swiped her hand across her face, barely shifting the continual flow of tears. "My ankle."

Without a second thought, Jane scooped her up and carried her the rest of the way. Maura gritted her teeth, giving in despite the anger that surged through her body. Her ankle throbbed, pain seared through her skin.

"I'll drive," Jane said, taking the keys from Maura's pocket as she settled into the passenger seat.

The short drive back to the city was silent. Maura focused on the road ahead, her eyes still lacked focus, clouded by a steady influx of tears. Every so often, Jane clicked her tongue, as though about to speak, but nothing came to fruition.

They pulled up in the driveway and Jane shut off the engine. She turned, her whole body slouched as though sighing. "Here we are."

"Yes." Maura rubbed her eyes, a mixture of dirt and tears had made the last few minutes excruciating.

"I guess we'd best go inside."

Opening her door, Maura hobbled out, catching herself as her ankle gave way under her. The drivers' door closed and Jane appeared at her side, holding her under one arm. She gritted her teeth and, with Jane's help, wobbled towards the door.

Inside, Maura lay down on the couch, her heart thrummed against her chest. Fresh tears forced their way through existing paths down her cheeks, creating new branches until every inch was pink and blotchy.

Jane placed a fresh glass of wine on the coffee table. "I'll order pizza."

Fifteen minutes later, the doorbell rang. Maura jumped up, forgetting monetarily about the pain in her ankle. She fell back down.

"I'll get it," Jane said, her voice small and tired.

Using the furniture, Maura made her way towards the door. Her ankle loosened up with every step closer until the pain dulled a little.

"Can I help you?" Jane asked, holding the door open.

A small voice replied. "Maura Isles?"

"Nah." Jane stepped aside. "Maur, it's for you."

Stepping out from behind the wall, Maura filled the gap. Her eyes landed on the young woman standing in the doorway. She gazed back, expectation in his eyes. Maura's eyebrows tugged together. "Do I know you?"

"No." The woman cradled her stomach, swollen like a beach ball. "But I know you. Or more, I know of you."

"How?" Maura asked, stepping forward.

"I'm carrying your baby."

* * *

 **So, yeah...thoughts? ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Note : Thank you so much for all of the comments - it's great to see so many of you are on board for this one! I hope it won't disappoint.**

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Jane stared at the woman, her mouth agape. Maura narrowed her eyes, her shock switching to confusion. She stumbled against the wall, struggling to keep her foot from resting on the ground. The door closed with a bang, throwing a gust of wind into the house. Maura jumped, her attention turned to Jane.

"Why did you do that?" she asked. She balanced on one leg and hopped to the door, pulling it open again.

"Excuse me while I go and figure out how impossible this is," Jane said, turning around, and back again. "Oh no, wait, I don't need to!"

"Jane." Maura smiled at the woman, her short blonde hair was tied back in a rough braid. "I'm sorry. Please, come in."

"Thanks," she said, still cradling her stomach.

Maura held her arm out towards the living room and she took a seat on the couch. She stared again at Jane, her eyes wide and vocal. The tension was palpable.

"What?" Jane said, her tone hushed. "She's clearly some sort of nut job."

"Don't be so rude!"

"Me?" Jane scoffed, tossing her arm out across the room. The woman folded a jacket onto her lap, her eyes danced across the room. "She's making up random crap and you're inviting her into the house. Look at her, she's probably planning to rob the place."

"Let's just hear her out."

"Sure." She rolled her eyes and followed Maura into the kitchen, staying close enough to speak without being heard clearly. "Because what could she possibly say that would make any sense?"

Maura put some water on to boil and filled three mugs with teabags. She retrieved honey from the cupboard. Jane rescued her teabag and replaced it with instant coffee.

"It depends." Maura poured water into each mug, dabbing a towel on a small spillage as she returned the kettle to the counter. "You shouldn't have caffeine this late."

"It…what?" Jane cradled her mug in her hands. Maura carried the two teas across the room to the coffee table. "Maura!"

She handed the second mug over and perched on the seat beside the young woman. She picked at her cuticles, a clear sign that something wasn't quite right. Maura watched her slow and methodical actions, her fingertips wrapped tightly around the mug before she brought it up to her lips.

Jane spoke in hushed tones. "Maura, don't fucking walk away from me. What do you mean it depends?"

Waving a hand to silence her, Maura motioned to the mug. "Please, drink. It's herbal, there's no caffeine."

"Thank you," she said, her lips curved right up to the corners of her eyes.

"What's your name?"

"Kiera."

"It's nice to meet you." Jane gave up her post in the kitchen and sat on the arm of the couch, leaning across the back, behind Maura. "I'd like to know what you meant when you said you were carrying my baby."

"It's your baby," she said, as if that provided enough followup information. "You are the mother, and a man named Roger is the father."

"Now I know you're talking bullshit," Jane mumbled. Maura reached out and whacked her across the arm, her eyes bore down on her, until she gritted her teeth and retreated.

"How did this happen?"

A pounding at the door made them lift their heads. Kiera sprang to her feet, shaking uncontrollably. Noticing her panic, Maura stood and rested a hand across her back.

"It's okay," she said, staring at Jane in confusion.

"I'll go see who it is," Jane said, heading for the entrance hall.

"No! Don't!" Kiera turned around, searching the room with wild eyes. She hurried into the kitchen, stopping at the far counter before heading back to the centre of the room.

Jane shrugged, staring at Maura. They locked eyes briefly before Maura wrapped an arm around Kiera's back. "It's okay. You're safe here."

She flinched, stepping away. "No. I'm not."

"Kiera," Maura whispered, gripping either arm and holding her still. Thankful that she had something to keep her from toppling over. "Jane is a detective, she can protect you."

"A cop?" Her eyes grew wider. She looked from Maura to Jane, and back again, frantically.

"Let me take you upstairs before she answers the door."

They scurried off up the stairs, Kiera waddled like a duck while Maura limped, her ankle pained her but she couldn't stop. At the top of the stairs, she took one final glance at Jane, before pushing Kiera into the spare bedroom.

x

"Evening, Korsak," Jane said, holding the door ajar. "What's with the banging?"

"Sorry, force of habit." He stepped into the house, pulling his umbrella down and shaking off rainwater out the door. "You weren't answering your phone. I need you to come down to the station, Frankie arrested someone for Tom O'Neill's murder."

"He just closed that case!"

He shrugged. "Looks like it's back open."

Jane hesitated. Ordinarily she'd head straight out without question. Even after months at the academy, she still hadn't fully grasped that she was no longer a detective. "Why are you here?"

"Smith's out with a back injury. I went along for the thrill and to support Frankie. He wanted someone more senior."

"You wanna spend your retirement chasing killers?"

"Kiki had a dance class."

"Didn't you wanna go with her?"

"It's not a couples activity," he said, shrugging.

Jane stared at him, expectantly. He stared back in silence. "You're gonna have to do better than that. I get why you're involved but why am I involved? I don't work there anymore!"

"Real shame," he said. "That's not why I'm here. You know a kid called Bryce Tucker?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Kid in my class. He's the best we've got coming through."

"You might wanna rethink that," he said. "We just arrested him."

"I'll get my jacket." She headed up the stairs. "Gotta say goodbye to Maura."

The bedroom door opened and Maura met her on the landing, her foot hovered above the ground. "Korsak?"

"Yeah."

"I thought I could hear his voice."

"There's a problem with the last case Frankie closed," Jane said, tapping the toe of her shoe against the carpet. "A kid at the academy is involved. I've gotta go to the station."

"Now?" Maura's previously calm tone heightened in volume and pitch.

"Believe me," Jane said. "I don't wanna leave you alone with that weirdo either."

"That wasn't what…" Maura gritted her teeth. "She's frightened. She came to us for help."

"I need to see what's going down with Tuck."

"I'd rather you didn't go." Maura stared at her, a mixture of anger and resentment on her face. Jane lowered her head and sighed. "We've got a lot to discuss."

"I'll be an hour, or two." She leaned forward, ignoring the tension between them. Her lips smashed down against Maura's, moving slowly, carefully, as she showed her how much she still meant to her. "I love you."

Swallowing, Maura rested a finger to her lips. "Yeah."

Jane closed her eyes, her head bowed. That wasn't what she hoped for their farewell. Without another word, Jane turned and fled back down the staircase.

x

"Right, Kiera," Maura said, reentering the bedroom. She walked across to the dresser where she kept spare clothes in case of emergencies, including several sets of nightwear. She pulled out a couple of night dresses in different sizes. "You're quite petite, but I don't have any maternity wear. Perhaps you'd prefer a pair of men's pyjamas."

The gentle sound of Kiera's breath took over, her eyes closed and her body lifted with each breath. Maura folded the night dresses back up and left them on top of the dresser. She reached into the bottom drawer and pulled out a blanket, draping it over the young woman.

Pulling the bedroom door closed behind her, Maura took refuge in her own. She had questions for Jane, queries that she wasn't sure she wished to hear the answers to. The night had not gone the way she hoped, and now they were too distracted with outside forces to address the fracture in their previously happy relationship.

What had gone wrong? Why didn't Jane want to marry her?

She curled up on her bed, pulling the bedsheets around her. Heavy rain now battered the windows, drumming along to its own beat. Fresh tears rushed down her face as if they were racing to the end. At some point since heading back in to attend to their guest, the pain in her ankle had subsided briefly. She sat up and analysed the red and puffed up skin. She turned it slowly, wincing in pain. A cold compress and rest were the best course of action, but that involved going back down the stairs and she didn't much feel like moving again.

x

"What's happening, Frankie?" Jane asked, approaching her brother in the observation section of the interrogation room. "Why'd'ya arrest him? He's a good kid."

He glanced at Korsak, his eyes spoke volumes, none of which Jane understood. She opened her mouth to request answers when he finally replied. "The CCTV footage we had? It's a match. Same height, same build, he's even got the same facial features. We've found blood splatters and hair strands in the trunk of his SUV. If he didn't murder Tom O'Neill, I'm real suspicious about who has been in that trunk, and why."

"He's the best recruit we've got!" The scene Frankie described collided with the man she knew. The man who looked out for his academy mates, and cleaned up at the shooting range after everyone else had gone home.

"I know you're protective," Frankie said, his shoulders slouched. "But I've gotta do my job."

"He got a lawyer?"

"Didn't want one."

"Now he's just being an idiot." Jane swung open the door and rushed into the interrogation room.

Bryce Tucker looked up, his eyes wide and glistening. When he caught Jane's gaze, his facade crumbled. He slouched forward, cupping his face. "I'm sorry."

Jane dropped into the chair beside him. She gritted her teeth. She'd watched him grow over the last few weeks, from an egotistical rookie to a steady, level headed man who was ready to go out on the beat.

"What the fuck, Tucker?"

He wiped his eyes with his hand and sniffled. His shoulders shook, betraying any sense of control he had left. Jane slapped him gently on the back, leaving her hand in place.

"Talk to me."

"I'll be fine," he said, rubbing the last tears from his face and sitting up straight. "I didn't kill him. I didn't even know him! They'll believe me. They have to."

Doubt settled in the pit of Jane's stomach, not because she didn't believe him, but because she knew the evidence was already against him. "Get a lawyer."

"No."

"Come on, Tuck! Don't be so pig headed. You're in real trouble here."

"You…" he stared at her, a crease formed between his eyes. He swallowed. "You don't believe me."

"Bryce." His first name felt foreign on her tongue, but she had to get through to him somehow. "In homicide, it doesn't matter who believes you. If the evidence says you're guilty, there's nothing more they can do. Trust me. I've worked here. I know these people. They don't want to see a young cop go to jail."

The door opened. Jane lowered her hands into her lap and shook her head. Frankie shrugged, sliding into the seat opposite Bryce. Detective Dalton, a rookie in his own right, sat beside him.

"Look after yourself, kid," Jane said, patting Bryce on the back as she stood up.

"I want a lawyer," he said, lifting his gaze from the table.

Jane headed for the exit. It took all her energy not to sit back down, to ask the questions she would have watched her brother ask, if she didn't have somewhere more important to be. Her life was no longer at the police department, it was at home, with Maura.

x

An arm snaked across Maura's stomach, pulling her tightly against the body that crawled into the bed behind her. Maura tensed up. She braced herself as she turned and stared into Jane's eyes. All she saw was love, and passion, the feelings she'd seen countless times before. Only now she couldn't place them, because they didn't make any sense.

"Don't," she whispered, pushing her hand away.

A break in Jane's voice alerted her to the tears that gathered on her eyelids. Maura pursed her lips. "Maura. I love you. Isn't that enough?"

"I don't know." She rolled back over and stared out across the dark bedroom. The pain in her ankle increased, leaving her struggling to control the ache. She closed her eyes and imagined their future together. The image she formed days, weeks, even months before, was one of happiness. The two of them sharing their life together. Now all she saw was an empty space, and a perpetually sore foot.

"Did Kira give you any answers?"

Maura shrugged. "Kiera. She fell asleep."

"Oh." The bedcovers rustled. Jane moved onto her back. "She's still here?"

"I didn't know what else to do. I couldn't throw her out, not if there's any chance that what she said was the truth."

"How can it be the truth?"

"Not now, Jane," Maura said, rubbing her eyes. She stretched her arms above her head, a yawn forced her mouth wide. The day had gone on far longer than Maura had anticipated once her proposal was rejected. She'd been on the cusp of sleep when Jane arrived home, which only made her less willing to share.

More so because of what she had to say.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author Note : Thanks again to everyone for comments, etc. I'm enjoying writing this one. Though I'm a little worried about doing so in future - I mostly write on my phone as I walk down the street (wralking!) but there's been reports of people on mopeds stealing phones from people's hands. Not sure if it's in my area, but still.**

* * *

"Jane, wake up," Maura said, her tone hushed as she leaned as close to Jane's ear as she could get.

Groaning, Jane rolled over, her mouth inches from Maura's. She wrapped an arm around the back of her neck, her sleep raddled brain took control. Leaning forwards, she placed her lips on Maura's.

"No." Maura pushed her back and sat up. "Someone's downstairs."

"What time is it?" Jane rolled back onto her other side and reached for her cell. She groaned louder and burrowed her face into her pillow. It was barely morning. "Too early."

Gripping Jane's arm, Maura tugged. "Come with me."

"It's nothing," Jane mumbled into the fabric of her pillowcase. "Go back to sleep."

A loud clatter followed a by a bang made Jane lift her head again. She stared around the darkened room, her eyes locked with Maura's briefly before she glanced away. The night before flooded her mind.

"Okay."

Together, they crept down the staircase. Every couple of steps, Maura let out a yelp. She tucked her hand gently in Jane's, an unexpected display of how worried she really was. Jane stared at her, motionless, until Maura stepped onto the bottom step and she had no choice but to follow her.

A silhouette moved across the dark kitchen, lifting things up and placing them back down. Realisation settled in when the person's height became visible under the dull moonlight coming through the window.

"Kiera?" Jane shouted, knowing the risk she'd taken by alerting the intruder to their presence.

"Where's the frying pan?" she asked, her voice high and squeaky.

Maura let go of Jane's hand and pressed the light switch. Jane blinked a couple of times, adjusting quickly to the dull light of the energy saving lightbulbs. "What the fuck?"

"Kiera," Maura said. "It's five in the morning. What are you doing?"

"I wanted to make breakfast," she said, picking up the frying pan and placing it on the stove. "Pancakes or omelette?"

Letting out a slight growl, Maura entered the kitchen, her face contorted with every step, and retrieved the frying pan from the stove. She returned it to the drawer where it was kept and turned off the ring. "You don't have to make breakfast. Please, make yourself at home, make some tea, watch television. Jane and I are going back to bed."

"We are?" Jane asked, staring from Maura to Kiera and back again.

"Please keep the noise down," said Maura.

x

The commotion downstairs dissipated long enough for them to reach the bedroom. Maura perched on the edge of her bed, her head in her hand. She sighed. Tiredness demanded her attention, but the noise of pans scraping against metal made it impossible to focus. She considered going back downstairs, but the use of her ankle made the pain worse and recognised a need to rest.

"I can kick her out," Jane said, sitting up against her pillows.

"She's pregnant," Maura said, as though that made any difference to the situation. In hindsight, inviting a complete stranger to stay the night had not been Maura's best decision. Then again, she didn't exactly invite her.

Maura lifted her pillows up against the headboard, placing one under her ankle, and sat back. Fingers danced across the back of Jane's hand in the space between them. Her heart told her to lean against Jane's shoulder and seek comfort in her love, but her head reminded her constantly of the hesitation and the doubt in her voice when she accepted her proposal.

It wasn't supposed to end like that.

She tugged her hand away and clasped it in her lap. "This doesn't change anything."

"Change what?" Jane groaned. "I don't know why we can't just go back to how we were."

"I asked you to marry me," Maura said, putting as much force into the last two words as she possibly could.

"I said yes."

Even her defence of her acceptance paled in comparison to the expected response. Maura turned her head and stared at her, trailing her eyesight along the bridge of her nose and across the shape of her mouth. Features she saw each and every day, features she knew better than parts of her own body.

"It's not enough."

"Why do we have to get married?" Jane asked, her voice trailed off. "I love you. That should be enough."

"It's perfectly natural when two people enter into a long term, physical relationship where both parties are in love with each other, to want to show an equally long term commitment to said relationship."

Jane rolled her eyes. "Way to make it sound like an instruction manual for relationships."

"That's not…" Maura cut herself off. She didn't need to defend herself. "You don't want to marry me. Fine."

It was not fine. They both knew that. The tightness of her jaw spoke volumes, and the crispness of her words made it impossible to misjudge her facial features. Even Jane was not so obtuse to know that it was acceptable.

"You're not the only one who's got something they're not happy about."

Maura gritted her teeth and edged closer to the side of the bed away from Jane. Whilst she was not wrong, Maura didn't feel much like sharing. Nor did she feel Jane's terse comment was fairly placed. Regardless of the situation with Kiera, Jane still said no, in all the ways that actually mattered.

Neither of them spoke. The silence drew on for seconds, until the seconds were replaced by minutes. The tension was as thick as humidity, climbing up Maura's skin, trapping her between the stifling walls of the world.

"Might as well get up," Jane said, jumping off her side of the bed and heading for the bathroom.

By the time she was done, Maura didn't plan to be there.

x

"Where's Maura?" Jane asked on entering the lounge.

Kiera lay on her back, her ankles over the end of the couch, the television on at full volume. Noting the lack of respect from their house guest, Jane pushed her feet onto the floor. When she sat upright, Jane sat beside her.

"So?"

Kiera shrugged. "So, what?"

"Where's Maura?"

"Oh. Bathroom." She picked up the remote and pressed the volume button until she drowned out any hope Jane had of communicating with her further.

She reclaimed the remote from the couch cushions between them and pressed the power button. Kiera turned to her, her eyes full of frustration. She reached forward, but Jane tossed the remote across the room and stood up, blocking the path towards it.

"I was watching that," Kiera shouted, glancing behind Jane.

"Now you're coming for a drive with me," Jane said, wrapping a hand around her upper arm and guiding her towards the door.

She stopped, stamping her feet firmly onto the floor. "No."

"Yes." Jane stared her down, using her best intimidation face until the woman shook off her hand and marched towards the door. "Good. Car's on the drive."

She buckled up and started the engine. Every so often she glanced across to Kiera, focusing on her body language and the way she presented herself. Her dirty blonde hair was short and had a couple of kinks, that Jane could only assume had come from the braid she wore the day before. Her eyes, crystal blue, housed secrets Jane couldn't even hazard a guess at.

"What's the deal?" she asked, turning onto a street out of town. "Why did you come?"

"I thought Maura should know that she's expecting a child."

"That's the thing," Jane said. "I don't really get how that's possible."

"It's simple." Kiera's smile grew wide, her eyes lit up. "Maura and Roger came together, and I'm the woman lucky enough to carry such a special child."

"Special?" Jane scoffed, gripping tighter to the steering wheel. "Maura's been here for over a decade. She hasn't been anywhere near men called Roger, maybe one who died, and she hasn't conceived any children."

"That you know of."

The words hit Jane harder than she expected. Her knuckles paled quickly, the temple on her forehead pulsed. She could feel herself growing more and more irate but had no way of stopping herself.

"How much do you really know about her?" Kiera asked, an unsettling question by itself.

Pushing up her barriers, Jane sat a little taller. "I know all there is to know."

"But you didn't know about Roger."

"Who the fuck is Roger, anyway?" She gritted her teeth. Silence filled the car, rattling Jane further. She needed answers, and Kiera was only making her feel more confused. "Well?"

"He provided the sperm."

"For Maura?"

"I told you." She winced. She placed a hand over her stomach and leaned forward, her face scrunched up. "You don't know."

"You okay?"

"I think he's kicking," she said, rubbing the palm of her hand across the front of her t-shirt."

"Why did Roger provide the sperm?"

"You'd have to ask Maura that," Kiera said. She pressed both hands to her stomach and moved them back and forth.

Jane's attention trailed backwards, her eyes wide. "You said he?"

"It's a boy."

"Oh." A shiver ran down Jane's spine. She wrapped her hands tighter around the wheel, her heart rate increased. She closed her eyes briefly then opened them again. "I…tell me about yourself, Kiera."

"Nothing to tell."

The short response did nothing to settled Jane. She chewed absently on the inside of her lip, anything to distract herself. "There must be something. What about what happened last night?"

"It's nothing," she said, but her eyes betrayed her.

Jane glanced in her direction, following the glistening of her eyes and the tightness in her jaw. "What was that?"

"What was what?" Her whole face crumbled again. She wrapped her hands around her middle and leaned forwards.

"You sure you're okay?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "It hurts more than usual."

Sighing, Jane checked her mirrors, put on her blinkers, and turned around.

"Where are we going?"

"The hospital."

"No! I don't want to go to the hospital. I'm fine."

The pain on her face said otherwise. Jane ignored her and continued on her path towards Mark Ambrose Memorial. Kiera's face remained tight, a hint of fear hidden behind a facade.

"What was the look before?"

Kiera stared at her, confused. "What look?"

"The look on your face when I asked about last night. You got an abusive ex or something?"

"Don't wanna talk about it," she said, staring out the window.

"Okay." Jane knew the signs, she knew not to push. Slowing to a stop at a set of lights, she retrieved her cell from the pocket of her pants. "Call Maura, tell her to meet us at Mark Ambrose."

"I don't wanna go!" Kiera shouted. Her whole face crumpled again. "Ow."

"We're going." Jane dialled Maura's number and pressed the loud speaker. She rested it on her lap as they set off again.

x

It took less than twenty four hours for Maura to feel connected to a baby she didn't even know had any connection to her. The word of a woman she had only just met should not have been enough to make her believe everything she said. But she did. Roger was not just a random name, and she only knew a handful of people who knew who he was.

She just didn't think it was possible, after all this time, that the one secret she didn't wish to share would come out.

"Is she okay?" Maura asked, stopping by the waiting area where Jane sat tapping her foot. She sat beside her, resting her swollen ankle.

Jane shrugged. Maura lifted her sore foot onto her knee, the skin still puffed up, bruises spread across part of the skin. She didn't know what to say, within seconds they were right back into the mess that had become their relationship, and Maura didn't know how to recover from that. She was angry, but she still loved her, and that's what produced so much confusion.

"What happened?"

"We went for a drive."

"Why?"

Jane narrowed her eyes, then shook her head. "To talk. To scare her into telling me what the fuck is going on."

"Jane!"

"Don't. I already feel bad enough."

Maura stared at her, searching her eyes for any hint of how she felt. Her defences had gone up, leaving Maura helpless. The longer this went on, the harder it would be to recover. She couldn't fix the damage caused by Jane, but she could attempt to recover something from her side.

"Fifteen years ago I had some eggs harvested." Jane turned to face her. Her eyes grew wide, a crease formed between her eyebrows. "That is the only way I can think of how she is carrying my child. I don't know how she got hold of them, or why, but they were fertilised by a sperm donation from an anonymous donor I knew only as Roger."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author Note : Thanks all, as always, it's been a busy time and weekends I don't tend to write as often as in the week anymore. I have a nice long weekend coming up as I have Friday off - I can't wait. I hope you all enjoy your weekends when they come.**

* * *

A man in scrubs approached them before Jane could open her mouth to speak. Even then, the words caught up in her throat. Fifteen years ago, Maura was young enough to have children naturally, easily, without the need for intervention. Not once had she hinted at problems in conceiving.

"Is she okay?" Maura asked, standing up. She slipped down, her ankle falling beneath her. Jane stood, catching her and holding her upright.

He smiled, his lips curved slightly at the corners. "Are you her family?"

"We're." Maura hesitated. "I don't…I'm…we're friends."

"What happened?" Jane asked, finding her voice. "Is the baby okay?"

"It's just Braxton Hicks, but it's good that you brought her in. The baby is smaller than expected for thirty-two weeks gestation. Kiera is in the restroom, she'll be out in a moment and you can take her home."

"Thank you," Maura said, relief washed over her.

Jane forged a smile. She still didn't know what to think, or feel, about Maura's revelation. It brought up only questions and once again they'd been distracted before she could claim any answers. Maura's fingers wrapped around Jane's and she squeezed them. A second later, her hand was at her side again. She sat back down, wincing.

"You should get your ankle checked while we're here," Jane said.

"It's fine." Maura lifted her foot up and massaged it slowly. "I called at my doctor's office this morning."

"I need some air," Jane said, rushing out into the parking lot.

x

A cab slowed to a stop by the entrance of the hospital. Maura and Kiera exited the building, ambling past a woman who clambered out with a toddler in her arms. He wriggled with such force that she almost dropped him on his head. Jane sighed. The panic on the woman's face unsettled her. If the child Kiera was carrying really was Maura's, their lives were about to change dramatically, with little notice.

"There you are," Maura said, I thought we might have to catch a cab home.

Jane shrugged. "I wouldn't do that."

"Okay." Maura pressed her lips together and opened the back door, helping Kiera into the back seat. She climbed in beside her, leaving Jane up front on her own.

She stared in her rear view mirror, watching Maura fuss over Kiera like she was the surrogate they'd chosen to carry their child.

"Where to, Ma'am?" she asked, her face straight, her lips tight. Maura glanced up, catching her gaze in the mirror. Jane looked away. "Home it is."

She drove back to the house, cautious of every stop sign, red light, and dicey junction. She drove with more care and attention than she had earlier in the morning when she still didn't understand. The baby now mattered, at least a fraction more, than he did earlier.

He.

He already had some sense of identity. Even if he wouldn't turn out that way, he was going to be born a he, according to their laws. He was going to be a white male, or so she assumed, a man with privilege because his mother was rich and he was lucky enough to be born into their world.

"He's kicking," Kiera said, grasping Maura's hand.

Jane stared into the mirror again. She grimaced as Kiera interlinked her fingers with Maura's and laid her hand over her bump. The joy on her face was a joy Jane had never seen before. An ecstatic happiness that she hadn't been privy to.

And it wasn't her that brought it on.

She swallowed a lump that attempted to settle in her throat and refocused on the road ahead. Jealous didn't sit well with her, but she couldn't help the pain that traveled through her.

"That's amazing." Maura's smile never faded for the rest of her journey, her hand not moved from Kiera's, still resting over Maura's, still rested on the bump. On the baby that wasn't Jane's.

They pulled up in the driveway and Jane shut off the engine. She held tightly onto the wheel until Maura and Kiera climbed out of the vehicle. The moment they were safely away from the car, she started up the engine again.

"Jane?" Maura shouted, confusion etched on her face.

Not looking at her, Jane reversed out of the driveway and sped off through the streets of Boston.

x

Tears threatened to fall as Maura walked past Kiera and into the house. The young woman shouted after her, but Maura didn't response. She marched straight up the stairs, slamming her door shut behind her. Two days ago everything was different. She planned to propose, so sure that she'd receive an instant yes that she didn't prepare for the fall out. She fell face down on the bed, nuzzling her face into the bedsheets.

"Maura." Kiera knocked at the door.

Maura sat up, wiped off her cheeks and forced her composure to return. "Come in."

She opened the door slowly and crept through the smallest of spaces. "You looked upset, are you okay?"

"Fine." Maura patted the bed beside her, until Kiera sat down. "This has been challenging, for all of us."

"Did Jane have to go to work?"

"No." Maura sighed. Jane was the last person she wanted to discuss. "I'd like to talk about the baby."

"What about him?"

"Why did you come here?"

"I told you, he's yours."

Maura sighed again, louder, more pronounced. "You keep telling me that, but why should I believe you? You haven't explained how you have come to be pregnant with my child."

"My boyfriend and I struggled to have a baby." She lowered her head and glanced away. Maura could see the pain in her eyes. She cupped her hand and squeezed it gently. "It was too difficult. We went for treatment and they took some eggs and some of his sperm. Only, when they implanted them again, they made a mistake."

Maura swallowed hard. It was not unknown for fertility clinics to confuse samples and accidentally give someone else's baby. It was not unknown, but it was hardly common. The sample she effectively abandoned years ago should never have been confused, not with such a new sample.

"How do you know?"

She stared at Maura, her eyes full of tears. "They found our sample. Unused. Then they did an inventory of their stock and discovered they had used yours."

Something didn't sit right with Maura. "But why didn't they inform me? Why did they tell you whose sample you had used? My information is confidential. The clinic had sealed records. Only an employee would be able to find that information."

Red faced, Kiera stared across the room. "I had a friend. I had to know. This ruined my relationship. I had to find his real parents. You deserve to know you have a son. I think maybe they didn't want you to sue them. You're not exactly unknown. You do all that charity work. You're the Chief Medical Examiner. You have money, and suing them could have destroyed their business."

Maura sat back against the bed. "I suppose you're right. You should not have deceptively retrieved my information, however. No matter how honest your intentions."

x

"Jane, what are you doing here? I thought you'd be at work," Angela asked, pulling her into her arms.

The feel of her mother's arms wrapped around her settled her a little. She placed her hand on Angela's back and sunk against her. Tears gathered on her eyelids, falling down her cheeks as she stepped backwards. Jane swiped her hand across her face.

"What's wrong?" She slouched, her eyes turned downwards in sympathy. "Did you and Maura have a fight?"

Jane shook her head. Tears continued their descent. Without another word, Angela ushered her into the house. Jane glanced cautiously around as they made their way into the kitchen. She didn't much fancy having the conversation with her mother and stepfather. Even if he was a decent man.

"Talk to me, Janie," Angela said, sitting her down and holding onto her hand. "Tell your Ma what's happened."

"I don't know what to do." She choked back tears, struggling to clear them fast enough. "Some women turned up on our doorstep. Maura had some eggs harvested years ago and this woman, I don't know how, is pregnant using one of Maura's eggs."

Angela's eyes grew wide, her face ashen. "Oh my."

"He's her kid, Ma. They haven't done any tests, but I just know he's got to be." She leaned forward and cupped her cheeks. "Why else would this woman show up here knowing all this shit about Maura? I didn't know anything about it. She never told me."

Fingers trailed across her hands, along her shirt sleeves and up to her face. Jane lifted her head, allowing Angela to brush tears from her cheeks with her thumbs. "Oh Janie. I don't know what to say. All I know is that Maura loves you."

"Why did she never tell me?"

"I don't know."

"She wanted children." Jane gritted her teeth. A course of anger rushed through her. Her fingers paled as she grasped the material of her pants. "Why didn't I give her a child when she wanted it so much? Why didn't I tell her how much I loved her earlier?"

"It's not your fault you found each late," Angela said, still holding her face. "Maura loves you. Yes, she wanted children, but she also wanted to be with you. If there's eggs out there, she could have used them any time."

"I know, but," Jane sighed. "I always kind of wanted a son. He should be my kid, Ma. Not some random man called Roger. He should be mine and hers. The child we chose to be parents of. It's not fair. This isn't how it was supposed to go."

Angela stroked her hair back from her face and kissed her cheek. "Sometimes the world doesn't work out the way we plan."

She stood up, letting go of Jane. She filled the kettle and boiled some water, preparing two mugs of instant coffee.

"That's it?"

"What do you mean, Janie?"

"That's all you have to say?" She scoffed. "The world doesn't work out the way we plan. So, what? Fuck it?"

"Jane, please." Angela sighed. "I know you're angry but please don't curse like that."

"Like what?" Jane stood up, her hands still clenched around her clothing.

"Like you're angry at me."

"I'm not…" Jane let go of her clothes and banged her fist on the counter. "I'm not fucking angry at you, Ma."

"Don't speak to me like that." Angela stopped stirring the coffee. "I didn't invite you here to talk to me like I'm dirt. Don't take your anger out on your mother."

Letting go of her balled fist, Jane slouched back into her seat, cupping her face as fresh tears gathered on her eyelids. "I'm sorry."

"You should be."

"I shouldn't be here," Jane said, standing up again. She grabbed her car key off the counter and left the room without so much as a goodbye.

x

Maura yawned, stretched, and sat down against the headboard. Sleep was needed but it felt a long way off. She pulled a book from her nightstand and turned to the last page she read. The novel, on an ordinary day, was just a story. An interwoven piece that connected several character's lives.

'No matter the words, Ana could not describe her feelings in enough depth to portray the devastation she felt. The world had collapsed.'

Thoughts drifted away from the page. Maura sighed and reread the sentence, three times over. Regardless of her effort, the words barely settled in her mind long enough for her to reach the next sentence.

Jane.

Jane was like Andrew. Tempestuous. Angry. Full of a world of angst hidden up in something else. He didn't talk when he needed to, and as a result, his anger came out in ways neither him, nor Ana, appreciated. His violent streak was a far cry from Jane's self-loathing moodiness. But they shared a commonality.

"Why do we put up with them?" she asked Ana, knowing full well that no answer would be received. She lifted the book up again and tried to read the next sentence.

x

The day had shifted to night long before Jane pulled up at the house again. She sat on the driveway, staring at the place she'd called home since returning from Washington DC. On that difficult night, everything had fallen into place, like Cinderella's foot fitting into the glass slipper.

It felt tainted.

Eventually, she climbed out of the car and sneaked into the house. The lights were off, the place was deathly silent. She poured herself a glass of water and carried it up to bed.

In the bedroom, Maura sat up against the headboard, reading a book. Jane watched her for a moment, her lips curved as she gave in to the intense love that still filled her up whenever she was with Maura. She cleared her throat, and Maura looked at her.

"Oh. You're home."

"Yeah." Jane placed her glass on the bedside cabinet and climbed in beside Maura. She kissed her, dramatically, deeply, not stopping until she could barely breathe and Maura stared at her, stunned. "Let's have a baby. Kiera's probably talking bullshit. We don't know who she is, or what scam she's playing. Let's send her home and make a baby. Our baby."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author Note : Busy time, still working on this, hope you enjoy.**

"Have you had time to think?" Jane asked, wrapping her arms around Maura's waist, her fingers tucked around the belt of her gown. She planted kisses along the side of her neck.

Maura wriggled out of her embrace and walked across the kitchen. She filled her mug with coffee and sipped the hot liquid, considering her answer to Jane's persistent question. "I think we have bigger issues to discuss right now."

"What's bigger than us having a kid?" Jane leaned against the counter, her hands gripped the edge. "I know I told you a few months ago that I wasn't sure I wanted one. But I've changed my mind."

"People don't just change their mind over something so large." She stared at Jane, her mouth open. "You've hardly made your feelings unknown on the matter. Ever since you lost the baby with Casey, I've known that you didn't want children."

"It's not that I didn't want one." Jane shrugged and turned around. She reached for the packet of bread on the counter and dropped two slices into the toaster. "I've changed my mind."

"Have you?" Maura pressed her lips together. She knew Jane well enough to understand the tightness in her jaw and the lack of conviction in her voice. She didn't much feel like discussing the matter, which was why she'd asked for time. But something was bothering her and she couldn't stop herself. "Or is this about Kiera?"

Jane stared at her, a crease formed between her eyebrows. "What has Kiera got to do with this?"

Maura sighed. She placed her coffee mug on the dining table and sat down. "Since the last time I asked you about children, you haven't said a word. Now there's a child, my child, in the world and suddenly you've changed your mind."

"He's not your kid, Maura." Jane stalked across the room and sat beside her. She scooped Maura's hand up and sandwiched it in between her palms. "I love you, and I want us to make a baby. I want us to have a family."

Lowering her gaze, Maura removed her hands from Jane's and cupped them in her lap. "I believe Kiera."

Emotion crept into Jane's voice. "Where does that leave me?"

"I don't know, Jane." Maura looked into her eyes, desperate to learn more than Jane would ever willingly volunteer. "You don't want to marry me. Why should I believe you want my child?"

She gritted her teeth. A sense of fragility filled her face and Maura knew she'd hit the nail on the head. The toast popped up and they both looked across the room.

"I want nothing more than for us to get married and have a child together," Maura said, refocusing. "But you've done anything but show me that commitment. I can't risk bringing a child into this world with you, if you can't even explain yourself."

"I've explained," Jane said, but her voice grew smaller the more words that came out of her mouth.

"You've explained nothing."

Shoes banged down the staircase, and across the room. Jane threw her arms up in the air and grunted loudly. "How can I explain anything when we have a fucking house guest?"

Maura sighed. "You're behaving immaturely."

"I'm behaving immaturely?" Jane scoffed. She stalked across the room and retrieved her breakfast. "I'm not the one who left you with a load of housework after spending one night in here."

"I should go," Kiera said, spinning around.

"You don't have to leave," Maura said, standing up. "I'm sorry that Jane is making you feel unwelcome. I want you to stay, as long as you need to."

"I meant upstairs," Kiera muttered, glancing away.

"You see?" Jane shouted, throwing an arm out towards the young woman. "She's taking over our house! Maybe if you'd do some kind of DNA test you'd find out that she's lying."

"I'm not lying!"

"No?" Jane rushed across the room, her shoulders back and her teeth clenched. She gripped the front of her jumper and pulled it up. "Are you even pregnant?"

"Jane, don't!" Maura said, grasping at her wrist.

"She's lying, Maura." Jane stared into her eyes. "She's lying to you."

Kiera's smile grew wider; a smirk appeared on her face. She stared at Jane, her teeth bared. She lifted her jumper all the way up. "See this? It's a baby."

"I've felt him kick," Maura said, shaking her head. She stepped back, her lips tight. "Jane, you're making a fool of yourself."

"You could easily fake that," Jane said. She wrapped her hands around Kiera's stomach and moved them back and forth.

"What are you doing, Jane?" Maura asked.

She walked around Kiera's back, still trailing her fingers along her skin. She returned her fingers to her stomach, cupping it gently. She hesitated, then jumped backwards. Guilt moved across her face. "It's not fake."

Maura sighed. "Of course it not."

"I," Jane stared at Maura, her eyes glistening. "I really thought."

"You're wrong."

"I…I'm sorry."

"See?" Kiera smirked.

"I think you should go," Maura said. She tugged her gown around her middle and pulled the belt tightly. Her cup abandoned on the dining table. Jane stared at her with puppy dog eyes. Maura pressed her lips together to push away the threat of tears. "I need you to find somewhere else to sleep for a while."

"Maura!" Jane lunged forward, her hands outstretched. Maura shook her head and stepped away. "Please. Don't do this."

"Go. Please. Before I say something I'll regret."

x

Jane stuffed her duffel bag into her locker, squashing every last part of one end into the small space before forcing the door closed. She sat down on the bench beside her locker and ran her fingers through her hair. Maura's request to think about her baby announcement was a good sign, or so she had thought until Maura threw her out on the street.

"Rizzoli, my office," Detective Carter shouted, taking up the whole of the door frame with his tall, thickset body. Despite retiring from active duty due to a knee injury he never recovered from, he was still formidable.

"Yes Sir," she said, banging her fist against her locker to make sure it was shut. She rushed out of the room and down the corridor, taking a seat opposite him as he took his own behind his desk.

"Why didn't you call me?"

"Pardon?" She stared at him, confounded. "When?"

"I've just been informed Tuck was arrested at the weekend. Your brother charged him with murder."

"Oh, that."

"Yes, that." He slammed his palm down on the desk, making Jane jump. "Why am I hearing about it from the guys at district one?"

"I forgot, Sir."

"Forgot?" He stared at her for a long while. His temple pulsed. One, two. One, two. She kept her gaze in his balled fist. "I don't pay you to forget things, Rizzoli. I pay you to do your God damn job."

Jane sighed. "I've had a lot on my mind."

He tilted his head to one side. "Are you gonna cry?"

She chewed the inside of her cheek. Telling him he was out of line didn't work. She knew cops like Carter and he was old school. Show weakness and he looked like a lost puppy long enough for someone to bear witness before he pushed his facade back up. "No, Sir. Just trying to explain."

"Well, I ain't here for a head to head. You know I don't like lady cops."

"Too much PMS," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Too right. But you, Rizzoli, you're something. District one talked about you like you were the Goddess of Homicide. Don't let me down with talk."

She sat back, slowly taking in the shape of his jaw and the crease that sat permanently between his eyebrows. "I had a few personal things to deal with. Now I don't. I messed up. It won't happen again."

"That's what I like to hear." He stood up and patted her shoulder, his dinner plate hand pushed her down. "Now tell me what you know. I don't got good friends down district one no more. I need your insider knowledge."

Despite his sexist flaws, Jane could see the cop he used to be. Strong and powerful, but ultimately a team player. Someone who cares about what you had to say as long as it was relevant, or you could prove it mattered. "Tuck's in deep."

"No shit, Sherlock," he said. "They don't charge you with murder unless it's something big."

"No, Sir. I don't believe he did it, but the evidence checks out."

x

The gentle trickle of a stream surrounded Maura. Birds tweeted, children in the distance played. She lay silently on her yoga mat, content with the relaxing sounds of nature, focused entirely on each slow and methodical breath. In and out. In and out.

Loud music infiltrated the calm, sending her body's adrenaline pumping. Maura sat up abruptly, bleary eyed. Every ounce of calm dissipated and stress returned to her previously relaxed body.

"Kiera!" Maura shouted on exiting her yoga room. She marched through the house and stopped in the entrance to the living room. An overwhelming sense of disharmony settled between the adrenaline. "What are you doing?"

Ignorant to her presence, Kiera danced around the room, her stomach on show in just a sports bra and underwear. Maura sighed. Kiera rolled her hips and, as though she wasn't even pregnant, squatted down to the floor with expert precision.

Stamping across the room, Maura turned off the music. Still low down to the ground, Kiera stared at her. "Why did you do that?"

"The music is too loud."

She leaned forward and managed to lie down on her side before pulling herself back up to her feet. "I thought you were at work."

"I was in my study."

"I thought your study was here," she said, pointing to the table adorned with work materials, including her laptop.

"I was practicing yoga ahead of working. We have no imminent autopsies so I decided to work here. Please, respect my home."

Kiera shrugged and turned the music back on. When she caught sight of Maura staring at her, she turned it down.

"Turn it off." She rested a hand on her hip and stared down down until Kiera followed her orders. "Come and sit down, we need to talk."

x

Maura placed two mugs of herbal tea on the coffee table and sat beside Kiera. She looked into her eyes, so familiar, and yet so unknown. She wondered, briefly, if they had crossed paths before. She shook off the feeling. Kiera looked younger than Maura had first thought, or perhaps her age was watching up on her.

"Jane was right, you're not respecting my home," Maura said, pursing her lips. "I need you to consider how you are behaving here. The food left out of the refrigerator, the dirty plates on the table, the takeout boxes. You've been here for just a couple of days and you've taken over a space that doesn't belong to you."

"Oh." Kiera narrowed her eyes, which glistened under the light from the windows. "I thought I was welcome here. You said…"

"I know what I said." Maura leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "It's not that you're not welcome here. If this is my child, then you are."

"If?" Kiera's face crumpled. Her voice grew louder and more frantic. "You don't believe me either."

"That's not it." Maura ran her hands through her hair and turned to face her. "Kiera. You turned up at my home unannounced. You share something so large that it's difficult to fully grasp so quickly. I don't disbelieve you. But I need to protect myself."

"What d'ya mean?"

"I need you to agree to do a DNA test. I need to establish the maternity of this child."

"No!" Kiera stood up and tossed her arms around in front of her. "This is ridiculous! You wouldn't have wanted one if it weren't for Jane."

"That's not true." Maura stood up and gripped her wrists, pulling her hands down between them. "I was always going to ask. I planned to wait until the baby was born, but now I am considering whether we should do it earlier."

"You can't," Kiera said, tears filled her eyes. "It's too dangerous to the baby. I can't lose him, not when I've carried him this long."

Maura pressed her lips together and considered Kiera's words. "Kiera, do you understand that if this child is mine, I will want custody of him?"

"I know." She lowered herself back down, cupping her face. Her shoulders shook. "I know I have to give him up eventually. I just don't want him to die."

"It's a non-invasive procedure. All they will do is take some blood from you, and test it."

"That's it?" Kiera's hands fell to her sides, her face red and blotchy. "Just blood?"

"Yes." Maura rested a hand on her back, sliding it across her spine. "I can make all the arrangements."

"O…okay."


	6. Chapter 6

**Author Note : Thank you all for the comments and for sticking around - I know it's not the most conventional of stories, but I hope you're enjoying it anyway. I like a challenge, even if it's not the most popular.**

"An-Jay!"

Jane stepped backwards as the small child collided with her legs. She ran a hand across the back of his tight dark curls and scooped him up with one arm. She carried him like a football into the hallway of the house, kicking aside a small plastic toilet step. "Frankie, you let the kid answer the door again!"

He ran into the hallway, his eyes darted back and forth until they landed on the small boy. "Elijah, what have we told out about answering the door? How did you even reach the handle?"

He giggled and wriggled, screeching until Jane lifted him over her head and brought him back down gently onto the ground. His smile grew wider. He turned to Frankie. "No go door, Dadda. 'Gain An-Jay!"

She wrapped her hands around his chubby cheeks and kissed his head. "Not right now, Eli. Aunty Jane needs to talk to your daddy."

He tugged and pulled at the leg of her pants in his attempt to climb up. She scooped him up again and carried him into the kitchen where Frankie returned to cooking dinner. "Hey, Frank, can I stay here for a couple days?"

Mid-stir, he turned around and glared at her. "What did you do?"

"Me?" She lowered Elijah onto the floor and took a beer from the fridge. "Why d'ya assume it's my fault?"

He stared at her. "Is it?"

"Yeah, but that's besides the point."

"That's exactly the point." Elijah reached up to the counter, his small, chubby hands grasping at anything he could reach. Frankie pushed him to one side away from the rings. "Go sit at the table."

"I dun got col," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Jane, get him some crayons from the basket on top of the fridge." She pulled it down and sat beside Elijah, supping on her beer as her nephew drew lines and shapes across the page. "If you've done something wrong you need to sort it out."

Jane looked at Frankie, her eyes wide. "Seriously? That's your advice? That's like telling a blind man to just open their eyes and look around them."

"Don't be so ridiculous." He turned down the ring and perched on the bench opposite. "It doesn't matter what you did or didn't do. What matters is that you do whatever you can to fix it."

"And what do you suggest, oh wise one?" Jane rolled her eyes and placed her beer down on the table.

"Go home. Cook dinner…" he smirked. "Order takeout."

"Hey!" Jane smacked him across the arm.

"Not in front of the kid!" He shouted.

Elijah looked up. "Me?"

"Yes, you," Jane said, wiggling her fingers out in front of her. She moved them towards him and Elijah giggled uncontrollably before her fingers even touched him stomach.

"Feed her…make…" Frankie's cheeks reddened. "Have S-E-X."

She stared at him again.

"I'm not gonna say S-E-X in front of Eli."

"S-E-S," Elijah repeated.

"Oh for fu…" Frankie silenced himself. "Nina shouldn't have taught him the letters. Now I'm gonna be in trouble."

Jane ran a hand across the top of Elijah's head. "Blame me. Kid, your Momma won't like you saying that. Okay?"

He opened his mouth with the toothiest grin. "Okay."

Frankie stood up, tossing a towel over his arm. "Go home, Jane. Sort out your relationship instead of invading my home."

"Yes, Daddy," she says, saluting him. She plastered kisses across Elijah's cheek. "An-Jay has to go home, always be kind, don't take after your Aunty Jane."

"Yes, Dadda," he said, giggling loudly.

Jane ran her hand across his head again, following it with a kiss. "Love you more than the Sox."

x

"Paler Harriman, twenty-six," Kent said, making notes on his clipboard. "He has ligature marks on his neck and what appears to be consistent with fingernail marks on his cheeks."

"What's your verdict?" Maura asked, standing at the foot of the body. She held the recorder out in front of Kent.

"Verdict?" He stared at her, his eyebrows knitted together. He hesitated, then cleared his throat, placing the clipboard down on the table beside him. "I'm not a judge."

The mistake was clear, and Maura regretted it. Kent was astute, and he would notice. She cleared her throat, and handed him the recorder. "Supposition. I meant supposition."

"You said verdict. You never use the word verdict," he said, staring at the device in his hand.

Maura sighed and rubbed at her temple with her left forefingers. "I'm tired, Kent. The sooner we get through this autopsy the better. Please, continue."

"I can do it myself."

"A minor celebrity in Boston dies in suspicious circumstances." He handed her back the recorder, which she clutched in her hand, regretful that their exchange was being recorded. She pressed pause. "I'm under direct orders to oversee the entire process."

"Bureaucracy at its finest."

"You've been here long enough to recognise when we are under direct instructions to be as accurate as possible."

Kent narrowed his eyes. "Are you implying you're not usually accurate?"

"I implied nothing of the sort." Maura took the clipboard from the table, and proceeded to make additional notes. "But where we usually check once, we check twice. Where we usually check twice, we check thrice. Let's go back over the injuries."

"Gotcha!"

Maura rolled her eyes. "You're starting to sound like Jane."

"As you said," he smiled. "I've been here long enough."

"You hardly spend any time together. Especially in the last couple of years since she left and started working at the academy."

"That's what you think!" Kent said.

Maura frowned. Her head pounded and she wasn't much in the mood for Kent's games. "What is that supposed to mean?"

He grinned. "Jane and I have an understanding."

She glared at him. "Kent!"

He shrugged. "We go out for a drink once a month."

"Prey tell," Maura said, returning the clipboard to the table. "Why would you spend any social time together when you have nothing in common?"

"I'll have you know that Jane and I share a hobby," he said, starting at the top of the body. He glanced down, checking the skin for lumps, bumps, and scrapes. "There's another fingernail mark around the depressed supercilii muscle. In addition to the other marks, I would suggest the person grabbed his face like a…"

"Baseball?" Maura asked.

"I was going to say sponge, but baseball works."

"No. I meant the hobby you share with Jane," Maura said.

Kent shook his head. "Of course not. If I had to choose a bat related team sport, it would be cricket."

Maura hesitated. "Jane doesn't have any other hobbies, and she hates cricket, she calls it a poncy English game."

"That's where you're wrong," he said, making a note on the clipboard. He continued his secondary glance across the body.

"Jane likes cricket?

"Not that. She has other hobbies."

"Please, tell me."

"Guess."

She sighed heavily. "Of all the days you wish for me to guess, this is not one of them. Tell me."

"No."

"As your superior, I implore you to tell me."

He rested a hand on his hip and glanced up from the body. "That would work if it was a work related thing. I thought you wanted me to focus my complete attention on accuracy?"

"I do. After you tell me. We are in the workplace. This is work time. Tell me."

"Fine! But don't tell Jane I told you." She didn't say anything, she didn't know what to say. Her relationship had hit a difficult patch and no amount of joking around with Kent was going to change that. "You have to promise!"

Maura closed her eyes and rubbed her eyelids. "Kent, please."

"Promise!" he said, pulling her hands away from her face.

"I promise," she said, focusing her whole attention on his eyes.

He didn't answer right away, just watched her for a moment. Maura kept up her focus until he finally cracked. "She and I go to a dance class together."

"Once a month?" Maura asked, recalling the monthly visits to a card game Jane had been attending of late.

He nodded. "Jane doesn't want to arouse suspicion."

The whole scenario made little sense. Maura couldn't get Jane to dance at the best of times, especially not in public, with people watching. Occasionally she did a strip tease, but that was always in the privacy of their home. "Did she tell you why?"

"I dunno. Something to do with you…" Kent's eyes grew wide and he stopped talking. He covered his mouth. "Oh."

"What is it?" Maura asked.

The cat was already out of the bag, and he knew it. "Your anniversary."

She stared at him, confusion etched across her face. "She's been attending dance classes for our anniversary?"

"I didn't say a thing," he said, putting the clipboard down and heading for the exit.

"Where are you going? We have an autopsy to complete."

"Oh." He turned around and returned to her side. "Right. So, did you record the scaphoid injury?"

x

The house was filled with silence, a distant hum of the refrigerator filled the empty space making it appear louder. Jane couldn't remember it ever making that much noise before. She made a mental note to tell Maura in case it needed repairing and proceeded to prepare dinner. It was Monday, which meant it was the night Maura usually came home late, if previous months were anything to go off. Ever since the new ME started working at the weekend, freeing up Maura's time, it always resulted in her working later the following day. An unexpected murder on the opposite side of Boston sometimes put a spanner in their plans, but she hoped for the best and chopped vegetables.

"Hey, Frankie," Jane said, holding her cell to her ear as she stirred a pot of sauce. "What's that thing you do with rice to make it taste nice?"

"Cook it?" he asked.

"Ha-ha." She emptied a cup full into a pot and added water. "It's in water, what next?"

"Turn on the ring."

"I know that part!"

"Add half a teaspoon of salt."

"Anything else?"

"Nup." His voice drifted off away from the phone. "Sorry, Jane, Elijah's calling. Say hi to Maura."

"Thanks. Give Eli a big kiss from his aunty."

She put her cell back onto the kitchen counter and finished preparing dinner. When the front door opened ten minutes later, Jane turned around, prepared to respond to Maura's dissatisfaction at her presence.

"Dinner!" Kiera shouted, bounding into the room like a rhino charging at its prey.

Jane stared at Maura, who stared back at her, her eyes filled with tears and her shoulders shook. Closing the gap, Jane attempted to pull her into her arms, but Maura pushed back until she stood facing her, a stalemate between them.

"I cooked," she said, forging a smile. Maura didn't return it. Jane opened her mouth but her words were like lemon on her tongue. "Sorry."

The clattering of plates pulled Maura's attention away. Jane stared at her, her heart ached. She didn't want this.

"I should go." She headed for the door, retrieving her duffel from the hallway.

Out on the driveway, she bundled it into the trunk and sat in the driving seat. She wondered what would have happened if she'd just said yes. They'd be planning a wedding and…Kiera would still be there. The weight of her revelation paled in comparison to Jane's refusal.

She grasped the door handle, ready to open it. Glancing up, Maura stood in the doorway of the house, a sense of relief in her eyes as she spotted Jane sitting there. She tugged at the door until she stood back on solid ground, her hands stuffed into her pockets.

"When you said sorry, what were you apologising for?" Maura asked, her lips tightened.

"For hurting you." Jane stared at the floor. "It's not that I don't want to marry you. I just…I don't wanna get married."

She locked eyes with Maura. A crease formed between Maura's eyebrows. "Why didn't you tell me that?"

"You were so happy." Jane shrugged. She dug her fingernails deeper into the material at the bottom of her pockets. "You were so sure I was gonna say yes. I could see it in your eyes. You were devastated and I caused that."

"I thought you didn't want me," Maura said, stepped forward.

Chewing on her bottoms lip, Jane kicked at the flagged ground. "I love you. I want to be with you. I want you to know that I'm committed to you forever. Just not like that."

"Is this because of Casey?"

Jane looked into her eyes, really focused her whole attention on Maura for the first time. "I thought I wanted to marry him. If we'd sorted out the living arrangements we'd be living in Germany, or wherever, and I'd be miserable as hell. I don't want us being together to mean either of us has to compromise who we are."

"I'd never ask that of you," Maura said, closing the gap further.

"What's the point of getting married? It doesn't change anything."

"No?"

"Its paperwork, Maura. It's admin. It doesn't mean I love you, it doesn't mean I don't. Marriage doesn't last."

She reached out and took Jane's hand. "Your parents?"

"They were together for decades." She picked up Maura's hand and held it up between them. "It all fell apart because Pop couldn't be faithful."

"I don't believe you'd stray, not for a second," Maura said, squeezing Jane's hand. "You're not like that. I don't want anybody else."

"Please, Maura," Jane said, letting go of her hand and dropping her fingers to her side. "I don't want to get married. I can't marry you. But that doesn't mean I don't want to be with you. I can't lose you, please don't tell me this is a deal breaker."

Maura closed her eyes and lowered her head. A sigh escaped her lips and disappeared into the darkness. "It's not a deal breaker. I wanted to show our family and friends that I'm committed to you. I don't need a piece of paper to say I've done that. But would you be okay with a commitment ceremony? Or is that too much like marriage?"

"I…I'd like that."

"You would?" Maura's face had paled but her cheeks reddened again quickly. "Are you sure?"

Sighing, Jane wrapped her hands around Maura's cheeks and pulled in to a passionate embrace. Within a few seconds, Maura tucked her arms around Jane's shoulders, her hands pressed against the back of her neck. The breath fell from Jane's lips as she pulled back. "Compromise."

"But do you want it?"

"Yes, I want it."

"Are you sure?"

Tilting her head to on side, Jane smirked. "Why do you think I kissed you like that?"

"Because you love me."

"That too," Jane said, cupping her cheeks once more and leaning back in.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author Notes : Sorry it's been a while. I got sick for a week, which really took away my motivation and I haven't managed to really get it back. My brain is so full these days. I hope I'll be able to start on the next chapter next week.**

* * *

The world felt lighter in both brightness and weight. Jane lay under the bedsheets, her toes tucked around Maura's ankle. She still slept, her lips parted with every soft breath, her face peaceful, content. Jane rested her head against the side of her neck and closed her eyes. Her alarm was hours away, but she didn't want to give up the time she could spend with Maura. Not that she was awake to be much company. The time apart, no matter how small, had made her realise that Maura was all that really mattered to her. Whether there was a baby or not.

On the other bedside table, Maura's cell vibrated against the wood, the incessant noise reverberated through the material. In silence, Maura's hand snaked out from under the sheets and grasped the phone.

"Isles," she muttered, her voice crackled with sleep.

It had been a long time since Jane had received a late night wake up that she almost missed it.

Maura's voice grew louder. She rolled over, almost colliding with Jane, who hadn't moved from her side. "I'll be right there."

"Morning."

"Good morning," Maura whispered, stretching her arms above her head. She smiled, her lips wide and her eyes creased at the corners. "Sorry, did my phone wake you?"

"I was already up. Murder?"

"Suspected."

"I suspect it probably is," Jane said. "I can feel it in my bones."

"You can feel a suspected murder, that happened while you were sleeping, on the opposite side of the city, in your bones?"

Jane smirked and shrugged. "Can I come?"

"You have work in six hours twenty-two minutes."

"I'd rather come to the murder. Carter was a dick to me over Tuck." Jane wrapped her hands around Maura's waist, her fingers trailed across her stomach. When they first got together, Jane had woken a couple of times to memories of dreams, of her hands covering the swell of Maura's stomach. She swallowed, and cleared her throat. "I have a few hours. I'd rather spend it with you, like old times."

"He's never been very empathic, has he? It's not really my decision," Maura said, cupping Jane's hand on her stomach. "But I can't stop a member of the public from turning up to a crime scene. Whether the lead detective wishes to allow said members of the public onto the scene, well, that'll be Frankie's decision, no doubt."

"Thank you." Jane kissed her quickly on the lips and climbed out of bed. "Share a shower?"

x

The ground beneath their feet squelched with every step over the dirt. A recent spell of downpours had saturated the earth leaving it difficult to maneuver. Maura regretted not changing her shoes before she left the car, but she hadn't anticipated just how far they'd have to walk to reach the deceased. The officer holding the boundary tipped his head to Jane and allowed her past without so much as a word. Maura clutched her hand, using her to steady herself on the uneven ground.

"Definitely like old times," Jane muttered, a groan escaping her lips like it had so many times before.

"Right down to the noise," Maura said.

"What noise?"

Maura laughed. "The noise you make whenever you're made to traipse over sodden ground."

"I have a noise?"

"You have several, for different crime scenes." Maura reached out to a large branch and pulled herself across a small, newly formed patch of water. "I thought you knew."

"No!" Jane followed her across. "What other crime scenes?"

Maura shrugged, then considered the memories she held. "Water based incidents."

"What does my water based incident sound like?"

"A grunt."

Jane narrowed her eyes. "Why do I grunt?"

"Your answer would be better than my hypothesis, on account of it being your noise." She stamped through thick grass that grew up along the side of the path, avoiding the worst of the churned-up dirt. She nodded forwards. "I can see Frankie."

"What other noises?"

"You sigh when it's a child. Any time there's a couple who are both deceased, you pause. I can see your eyes working around the scene, checking for signs of Hoyt. You take in breath rapidly. Once you're sure it's not him, even after he went to jail, you relax."

Jane stared at her, her mouth agape. "I have all those sounds? How do you know, I thought you'd be busy looking at the crime scene?"

Maura's lips curved at the edges. She scooped her hand back into her own and held it at her side. "You were always the first and last thing I looked at."

"Oh." Jane's cheeks reddened. She stepped around Maura and leaned over her. She rested her lips against Maura's mouth and lowered her knees ever so slightly to match Maura's height. She pulled away a moment later, the breath absent. "God, I love you."

"I love you," Maura said, stroking her cheek and stepping back. "Let's see what we have."

x

Class ran over, much to Jane's frustration. Carter stood at the back of the room, glancing at his watch, his eyes bearing judgement over her actions for the first time since she started at the academy. Her reputation had preceded her and that had always been enough. She wished she'd gone to the police station with Maura.

"Everything alright?" she asked, carrying her notes to the back of the room.

He tilted his head to one side and pondered his response. The longer he stared, the more unnerved Jane felt.

"Is it Tuck?"

"Still waiting on the investigation."

"You checking up on me?" she asked, placing the notes on a table and folding her arms. She sat down on the corner and waited.

"Something's happened at your home."

A chill travelled down her spine. She stood up. A sense of foreboding rose inside of her, pulling out every last thought of death and horror that could affect her. She opened her mouth to speak, but Carter filled the brief silence.

He stood square in front of her, his hands outstretched as though he was going to grip her shoulders. "As far as I know your partner is okay."

 _As far as he knew_. She attempted to swallow. Her throat lacked moisture and her tongue felt like it swelled in the space. They left the crime scene together hours ago. Maura had to go straight to the office to conduct the autopsy. Jane had gone to work. Neither of them was even supposed to be at home.

Except Kiera.

"What about Kiera? Is Kiera okay?"

"That's not your partner?" She shook her head. He shrugged. "Someone was at your house. He's a John Doe, no ID. He's in the hospital with a serious head injury."

Without another word, Jane fled out of the classroom door. She could hear Carter shouting after her, but the words disappeared into oblivion. On her race to the car, she tried Maura's cell. No response. Next she tried Frankie.

"Is Maura okay?" she asked the second he answered.

"Maura?" his voice portrayed nothing but confusion.

"Where the fuck is she Frankie?"

He didn't respond quickly enough. Her phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen. "She just tried calling." She hung up the phone and dialled Maura again. "Where are you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm at the hospital. Can you come and get me?"

x

The hospital corridor left little to be desired. Maura tucked her hand under her thigh and waited, watching people trail up and down in search of loved ones, patients and a lost dog. One eye was always fixed on the entranceway, desperately awaiting Jane's arrival. Maura stood as she saw her, she barely reached her feet before Jane scooped her into her arms. She peppered kisses along her cheek, collarbone and neck, and Maura sunk into her embrace.

"Maura." She cupped her cheeks, staring into her eyes and Maura knew she would see. She readied herself for her response. One eye swollen and bruised. It was just one eye. But it was enough to panic Jane. "God. What the hell happened to you?"

"I'm okay," Maura said, her words slow and methodical. She didn't want to create the drama she expected would follow. She wasn't ready to admit the truth, knowing how Jane would react.

"Doesn't look like you're okay to me." She trailed her thumb across Maura's cheek, gently prodding the edges of the wound. "Why did he do this to you? Who is he?"

"It wasn't him." Maura sighed and lowered herself back down. Jane stared at her, her eyes open wide and her mouth ready to ask more questions. "Can we just go home? I'm tired, the doctors gave me some painkillers and they're making me a little drowsy. I have a headache. I just need some rest."

"Concussion?" Jane wrapped her fingers back around her cheeks and stared deeply into her eyes. "We should get another doctor. I want a second opinion. They shouldn't be sending you home if you have a headache."

"I had a scan." Maura covered her hand and forged a smile. "I love that you worry about me. But I'm okay. There's no internal damage. My head just got shaken about."

"That doesn't sound okay, Maura!"

"I promise you. The damage is in my face, not my head."

She leaned in closer, her nose rested against Maura's uninjured cheekbone. She kissed her skin. "I thought maybe I'd lost you."

"If I thought I was more seriously injured, I wouldn't let you take me home."

"Okay." Jane pressed her lips together, her eyes glistened. "Okay. Let's go."

x

Jane wrapped a blanket around Maura's legs and handed her a mug of herbal tea. Maura sipped the hot liquid and closed her eyes, thankful of the break for her sight. The injury wasn't that bad but her eye ached in a way she'd never felt before.

"What can I do?" Jane asked, kneeling beside her, her arms wrapped around her shoulders. She rested her face against Maura's arm. "Tell me how I can fix you."

Maura sighed. "I'm fine."

"I'll send Kiera to a hotel for the night," she said, sitting back.

A lump formed in the back of Maura's throat. She tried to find the words she needed but they didn't form. She sighed. "You can't."

"I can and I will!"

Jane's defiance did nothing to ease the burden resting on her shoulders. She waited until Jane had sat down before laying her head in her lap and closing her tear stained eyes. Jane trailed her fingers across Maura's hair, stroking it back. Her fingers caught on the tears.

"Are you in pain?"

"Some." She tucked her hand around Jane's wrist. "I'm okay."

"You're not okay. You're crying." Jane kissed the side of her head, leaning over her, her lips moist against her already damp skin. Her breath was hot against Maura's ear, her words quiet. "What happened?"

She shook her head and burrowed her face into Jane's pants. She couldn't keep it from her forever. The police officer who accompanied her to the hospital would return, or if John Doe died, Frankie would no doubt turn up at her door.

"I was at the office when Kiera called. She said there was someone in the house. She was screaming. I didn't know what else to do so I drove home. She was on the phone for the duration. I called 911. I was going to call Frankie but I didn't have time. She needed help straight away. I got there before the squad car." Maura sat up. She wiped her cheeks, wincing at the pain. "I walked in and the man was on the floor, his head smashed in with my miniature gold plated bust of Bach."

"She hit him with your Bach bust?" Jane stared at her, her mouth hung open, her eyes narrowed. "Ordinarily I'd make some kind of joke, but I don't think now is the time."

"Definitely not the time." Maura sighed. Her face ached. She closed her eyes again. "She assaulted him. She was so worked up. It must have just happened. I tried to take the bust off her. I got hold of it but then her fist flew out. I don't think she realised that she hit me until it was too late."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author Note: oh, life, it's been so busy, I haven't even had time to keep myself okay, let alone think about much else. Work is finally settling down a little, I hope that means I can find more brain space to write. All fics.**

Maura stared into Frankie's eyes, her shaking fingers wrapped around the side of the door. Her chest ached. She dug her nails into the wooden finish, making marks she knew she'd never be able to remove. A permanent reminder of the horror that had occurred under her own roof.

"He's dead," she said, not breaking eye contact.

A creased formed between his eyebrows. "Who?"

"John Doe."

"Which John Doe?"

She stared deeper into his eyes. Her chest tightened with every harried breath. "The man Kiera hit. That's why you're here, isn't it?"

His doleful expression softened quickly. "I came to see how you're doing. I don't know anything about John Doe, or Kiera, for that matter."

"Oh." Her chest lightened, the weight of the world ever so slightly lifted from her shoulders. She lunged forward and gripped Frankie's arms, pulling him in for a hug. "Thank you."

"I can call and check," he said, rubbing his hands along her shoulders. She stepped back and shook her head. No news was good news. "If you change your mind."

"Thank you, Frankie."

"You and Jane sorted things out?" he asked, bouncing from one foot to the other.

She narrowed her eyes. It was only natural that Jane might tell her brother what was going on, but it left a bitter taste in her mouth. She still hadn't told Jane much about the situation with Kiera and that bothered her.

Twenty four hours had passed since she left the house without so much as a word, leaving Maura in a state. She held the door open for Frankie, but he declined her offer.

"I've gotta head off in a minute, got cases coming out of our ears, you know, you've probably autopsied most of them."

"I've done the autopsies for many of them, yes," she said.

"I'm glad you're okay." He smiled sympathetically and patted her shoulder. "Talk to Jane. You two are better than this. Don't end up like Ma and Pop, never really talking and leaving resentments between you."

She tried to push a smile back onto her face, despite the desire to bark at him for his advice. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, before briefly muttering. "Thanks."

x

Jane stood in the doorway of the hospital room. John Doe lay in the bed, he had a name: David Kowalski. He had a job, and a life, in New Haven, Connecticut. It wasn't much but it was a world that formed the jigsaw of his life. The officer beside her was muttering away to himself, doubting himself for telling her all about him, but she was a familiar face and they forgot she was no longer privy to such information.

"What happened?" she asked, stepping towards him, a tube in his throat and a machine beeping by his side. The only signs of life. He had a bruised bump on his head, a swell that she could tell was serious, possibly life threatening. Until he woke up, they didn't know by how much.

"Hello there," a nurse said, her grin small, the crease between her brows deep. "Are we family?"

"I..." Jane had been a cop long enough to know how these things go. Before she could stop herself, she responded. "I'm his sister."

"Oh, you were quick. We've only just passed his personal effects to the police. I suppose you'd like an update on your brother?"

"Yes." She could feel her cheeks redden. She lied to perps all the time, she lied to her students in the academy, she was not inept at the act of falsehood. Yet this felt underhand, wrong. But it was too late. "Please."

"He's sustained a serious head injury. He's showing positive signs, his scans are okay, it's just a waiting game. Once he wakes up we will know whether this has had any serious effect."

"Like what?"

"If you'd like to wait and ask the doctor, she can give you a full run down," she said, trailing off.

"Do you know if he has a partner, a wife perhaps?" Jane asked, the words tumbling out of her mouth like she'd usually ask in her previous life.

The nurses eyes narrowed further. "You said you were his sister?"

Jane smiled and backed out of the room. "Sorry. I have to go."

The woman stared, open mouthed, as Jane fled the situation. She berated herself for her mistake, as she ran down the corridor, taking the flight of stairs two at a time, and out into the street. The officer knew who she was. They would probably question her actions later, but for now she needed to get out of there.

x

"She's about one hundred and fifty six centimetres tall, I would have said ninety eight pounds, but she's pregnant, so maybe one twenty? Short, dark, blonde hair, blue eyes." Maura paused. Jane stood in the doorway, her eyes darted around her, glancing behind at the corridor. Maura sighed. "Please let me know if you see her anywhere. Thanks."

"Hey." Jane kicked the tiles as she walked across the room, barely glancing up. "You doing okay?"

"I'm fine." Maura ran her index finger across the swollen skin around her eye. "The bruising will fade in a few days. What's wrong?"

"Why does something have to be wrong?"

"You look like you've done something," Maura said, closing the file on her desk and standing up. She walked around the desk and perched on the back of it. "What did you do?"

Jane shrugged and glanced away. "Pretended I was John Doe's sister so I could find out what's happening."

"Jane!" Maura stared at her, her mouth wide. "Why ever would you do such a thing? I spoke to Frankie first thing, he was going to find out for us."

"Guess he doesn't need to. They think he's going to be okay." Jane shrugged again. She lifted her gaze to Maura's. "I need to know what he's doing here. Why he broke into the house. If he has a connection to her."

"He's probably a thief," Maura said.

Jane stared at her. "You're seriously going to make assumptions on this one? I think that thump to the eye must have knocked something out of that head of yours."

"I'm not making assumptions. He broke into the house. Kiera had to defend herself."

The silence that followed left a gap far wider between them. Maura sighed and stepped forward. She wrapped her fingers around Jane's and guided her over to the couch.

"When I was twenty five I was engaged to a woman called Harriet."

" _What_?" Jane's eyes grew wide, her mouth agape.

"We wanted a baby." Maura tucked her hand around Jane's, desperate to include her in the conversation. "We wanted a family. I was still studying, I couldn't afford to take time off to get pregnant and have a baby. Harriet had leukaemia as a teenager. She had fertility tests and we discovered she would be unlikely to conceive a child with just a sperm donation."

"So you harvested your eggs?"

"Yes." Maura leaned in close and stroked Jane's cheek with the back of her hand. "The only reason I didn't tell you before now is because it's too painful to think about."

Jane's voice came out weaker than she intended it to. "Why?"

"Harriet got pregnant. Everything we wanted was going to be reality." Maura's voice broke. Jane held tightly onto her hand, cupping it between both of her own. Maura chewed on the inside of her lip. It was too hard to speak, but she persevered. "But then her leukaemia came back. Her parents had a second child to help save her last time, now she was older, they didn't want to put her through that again."

"What happened?"

"She...she died." Maura swiped a hand across her eyelids. "We had to abort the child, to give her a chance, and it wasn't enough. She died anyway."

A long silence followed, filled only by the sound of Maura's gentle sobs. She burrowed her face into Jane's arms, cradled in her love. It hurt to swallow. Words she considered saying disappeared into the silence.

Cupping her cheeks, Jane kissed the tears from her face and stared into her eyes. "I know you said it was too painful, but you could have told me. Why didn't you feel you could tell me?"

"It wasn't about you." Maura cleared her throat and pushed fresh tears from her skin. "I learnt to live with the pain. It was my pain. My worst pain. If I shared it with you, then it wasn't mine anymore. I've considered telling you so many times."

"You want this baby to be that baby, don't you?" Jane asked, her voice smaller than before. "You want the child you were going to have with Harriet."

Maura sighed and stared down at her feet. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't. Having to destroy a life we both wanted, to save Harriet, and she dying anyway, it devastated me. It took me a long time to recover. That's why I never used the eggs. I couldn't. I didn't think I'd ever find anyone I'd feel worthy enough to love. Until I met you."

Jane wrapped her arms tightly around Maura's shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "If Kiera hadn't turned up here, would you have ever told me about the eggs?"

"Why would I need to?" Maura asked, pulling out of the embrace.

"You've got not-quite-babies out there."

"Exactly." Maura stared into Jane's eyes. "They're not children. They're the DNA required to make children. We decided not to have children. There was no need to bring it up."

"What if we wanted children?"

"I..." Maura narrowed her eyes. "What are you saying?"

"I don't know." Jane shrugged. "If things were different, we could use them."

Maura sat back, distancing herself slightly. "Things aren't different. I guess we'll never know."

"I guess not," Jane whispered, chewing on her bottom lip. She cleared her throat and stood up. "You gonna be okay? I should get back to work, since I'm not just upstairs anymore I've been gone longer than I should."

"Of course." Maura stood beside her. She slid her arm out towards Jane and cupped her hand. "I love you."

"I love you too," Jane said, forging a smile as she left the office.

x

Darkness surrounded her, tossing and turning in the bed, light absent as far as the eye could see. Jane sat up, her heart raced, her chest ached. She stared down at her body, at the enlarged swell of her stomach. The bedsheets shifted, leaving her skin exposed. Taught, pale skin forming the incubator for the baby. The baby that kicked uncontrollably, feet pushing her stomach out like an alien fighting to escape a prison. She ran her fingers across the skin, felt the draft of the cool night air dance over her body, sending her hairs to erection.

"Baby," Jane gasped, sitting upright. The bedsheets fell from her shoulders, leaving her breasts bare. Her stomach was as flat as it was the day before, the hours before; her dream dissipated into the night. Her heart still raced.

She glanced across at Maura, her own naked body exposed, her shoulders quivered. Jane lifted the sheets up around her, tucking her in. She kissed her on the cheek, let her lips linger for a moment longer, desperate to feel her embrace once more. She leaned in closer, nuzzling her shoulder blade, breathing in the scent of sex and sweat.

"I love you," she whispered against her body. She slid out from under the covers and the chill reached down to her bones. She rubbed her shoulders, squeezing her breasts together with her arms, wondering how it was possible to feel so warm between her legs and so cold everywhere else. It had been hours since they'd slept together, and yet, she could still feel Maura's touch bringing her to orgasm.

She slung a tshirt over her shoulders and pulled on a pair of shorts. The night wasn't far from over, at least it wouldn't have been if she still worked as a detective. The period of time since she left her beloved job was not long enough to get used to a nine to five. She didn't think she ever would.

She headed down the stairs, taking them two at a time, running back up to work off the tingling between her legs. Then the dream returned to her mind, hints of excitement of another kind entirely, of life making itself known. She entered the kitchen, her heart thrumming in her chest. She put coffee in the machine, ready for Maura waking, and proceeded to crack eggs into a bowl, ready to scramble for breakfast.

She paused. Her hands moved to her stomach. The stomach as flat as a pancake. She moved her fingers outward, imagining the feel of her fingers against protruded skin. She didn't want children. She didn't want to bring them into a world full of pain and suffering.

But she couldn't get over the imagined feeling of her own pregnant body.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author Note : It's Friday! I have 10 days off. I can't wait. But remind me to write, okay? I want to rest, I neeeeeeed to rest, but I also want to make the most of writing. Please, and thank you. We shall see what happens. The next two days I'm going to be at a spa, a nice relaxing weekend filled with doing nothing, a massage, reading, maybe writing if the inspiration hit. I hope you enjoy this one...**

* * *

Maura ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "It's been five weeks, why haven't they tracked her down?"

Cupping his mug of coffee with his hands, Frankie shrugged. "Detective Burke has done everything he can, it's like she's dropped off the face of the earth."

The empty mug in front of Maura had gone cold. She glanced up from the table, waving her hand gently towards the waitress of the diner. She nodded her head and picked up the coffee jug. "People don't just vanish. Not unless something has happened."

"You know that. I know that. Detective Burke definitely knows that." He held his half empty coffee up to the waitress as she poured Maura a fresh mug. "But if there's no trail, there's no trail. I don't know what else to tell you. They've done everything they can."

Maura waited for the woman to depart from the table once again and sipped her coffee. She considered her answer carefully. "If the baby is mine, if she's carrying a child conceived of the eggs I harvested, I need to know that the baby is okay."

"Just the baby?"

"I don't know Kiera. She spent a few days in the house. She was a terrible house guest and she drove a wedge between Jane and I. Do I care that she's okay? Of course I do. But if the baby is mine..." She glanced into the steaming liquid, then back up at Frankie. "I'm not confident she would make a good enough parent to ensure the first few days, or weeks, of the child's life will be sufficient for neurological growth."

Frankie looked across the diner, his mug to his lips, his eyes followed the waitress as she attended to another table; the brief sway of her hips as she served them coffee. He placed his mug back down and reached for Maura's hand. "What I shouldn't tell you is that Burke spoke to the hospital who treated her a few weeks back. You're not supposed to know that there are no medical records for a Kiera Sarker. He checked our database, the DMV database, he searched registered voters. There's no Kiera Sarker that fits her description anywhere."

The skin on the back of Maura's neck tingled, her hairs stood on end. She opened her mouth to speak but a jumbled mess entered her head. She cleared her throat and tried again. "She's not Kiera Sarker?"

"I don't know who she is, but if she's lying about her name, who knows what else she's lying about."

"But she knew about Roger." Maura grunted, the sound escaped her lips without permission. "If she knew about Roger, she knew about my egg harvesting, even if her name is fake, I believe that she's still carrying my son."

He shrugged, his eyes turned down in sympathy. "Just don't get your hopes up, Maur."

"I put it off before," Maura said. "I believed what Kiera was telling me. I'm going to phone my lawyer and ask them to find out what they can from the clinic."

"I thought you'd done that weeks ago."

"No." Maura sighed. "I was going to. I kept putting it off. If they're threatened with legal action, I don't know what they'll do. They're a large company. They have the money and the resources to fight me on this. I don't know if I have the energy."

Pushing his empty mug to one side, Frankie squeezed her hand. "Update me when you know more. Maybe they can help track down this woman."

"I hope so."

x

The evening was drawing to a close when Maura arrived home. Jane wrapped her arms around her waist and planted kisses along her collar bone. She'd been insatiable lately, and despite Maura's incessant need to find Kiera, sex was the only thing that settled her. For the first time in five weeks, Maura placed a hand on Jane's chest and stood at a distance.

"I spoke to my lawyer this afternoon. They're going to seek legal action against the clinic, and they're going to demand a full investigation of what happened."

"I made gnocchi?" Jane said, shrugging her shoulders. Maura's shoulders dropped, her eyes drooped. Jane sighed and pulled her into her embrace once more. "We'll find her, somehow. Kiera can't hide from us"

"I'm beginning to think she can."

"Why don't you have a bath?" Jane kissed the top of Maura's head and untangled herself. "I'll finish dinner. I picked up another bottle of your favourite reasonably cheap wine."

"Pavillion Rouge du Chateau Margaux?"

Jane scrunched up her face. "Maybe your second favourite?"

Maura sighed. "I'm sure the wine you picked out will be sufficient."

"You're gonna make me cry," Jane whispered, twirling one of Maura's strands of hairs around her finger and cupping her cheek. "You look so sad."

"I'll be okay."

"You will. You've been through hardier stuff."

Leaning forward, Maura burrowed her face against Jane's shoulder; a few gentle sobs escaped her. Jane wrapped her arms around her back and squeezed her tightly. "Bathe. I'll have dinner and alcohol ready when you get out."

"And you?"

"What about me?" Jane raised an eyebrow.

"Will you be ready when I get out?"

The twinkle in her eye was enough for Jane to realise what she meant. She chewed on her bottom lip. "I'll warm up a towel, shout when you're ready to get out."

"Bring wine."

"We'll be there."

x

Two empty glasses sat on the bedside table. Maura's towel had cooled off long ago on the floor. Jane tucked her ankle around Maura's and trailed her fingers up and down her bare arms. The air smelled of sweat and sex, her favourite scent. Maura purred softly, desire burned in the pit of Jane's stomach.

"Again?"

Maura moaned into Jane's ear, sliding her fingers down her body. "I just want to forget."

"I get that," Jane said, her heart racing as Maura's touch heightened her senses. "It's not that I don't wanna, but you're doing what you tell me off for anytime anything happens."

Maura pulled herself away from Jane, leaving her desperate for more. "Look at you. You want it too."

She breathed slowly, reclaiming herself as she stood strong. "Any physical response to your touch is only natural. But you can't hide how upset you are by fucking me every night."

"You've not complained before."

"I'm not complaining." Jane sighed. She wrapped her fingers around Maura's hand. "I'm hungry. You made me miss dinner again. You need food as much as I do. Let's have dinner and talk."

"About what?"

"Kiera."

"That's exactly what I don't want to do." Maura pulled herself into a seated position and covered her stomach with the bedsheets. "I appreciate what you're saying. At lunchtime I found out that Kiera is using a fake name. We might never find her. We might never find our son."

Jane frowned. "Our?"

"Yes, our. Yours and mine," Maura's voice drifted off into the silence that followed, a crease of her eyebrow as she realised the words she'd used.

Jane cleared her throat. She pushed away the desire to smile uncontrollably. Now wasn't the time. She slid her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. "I'm gonna finish making dinner."

On her way out the door, Maura whispered "okay."

x

A loud clatter in the back yard made Jane's ears prick up. She waited. It was probably a wild animal scavenging. A moment later, the door handle rattled. She reached for her waist, for the gun that she didn't have holstered. Instead, she picked up the knife she'd used to cut vegetables, and carried it towards the door.

"What are you doing?" Maura shouted, her mouth agape as she entered the room.

The door handle rattled again. Maura stared at her, fear flashed across her face and she jumped behind Jane.

"It's okay." Jane edged forward, she unlocked the door and pulled it open, the knife outstretched in her hand. A woman's body slumped across the threshold. Her short, dirty blonde hair hung loose around her face, her hand spread across the swell of her stomach. "Kiera!"

Maura moved into action, kneeling on the floor beside her. "Kiera, are you okay?"

"The baby's coming," she said, panting through the pain etched on her face.

Jane stood, the knife still in her hands, motionless. Maura turned to her. "Put that knife down. We need to get her into the house."

The words, the demand for action were enough to push Jane to move. She disposed of the knife in the sink and gripped Kiera's underarm. Together they lifted her up and headed for the couch.

"How far apart are the contractions?" Maura asked, stopping beside the couch, as Kiera tried to perch on the fabric, Maura continued. "On the floor."

"How far?" Jane repeated, her words shaken but loud.

"Close."

"How close?" Maura asked.

"I don't know."

"How long ago did your waters break?"

"Erm, yesterday, I think."

With a sharp intake of break, Maura let go of Kiera's arm and pushed the coffee table as far as it would go to create space. "Jane…get some towels. Clean ones."

She fled the room, not waiting for further instruction.

Kiera wrapped her fingers around Maura's arm. "I'm scared, Maura."

"I know. It's going to be okay." She sighed. A silence followed. Uncomfortable. Almost painful. "What is your real name?"

Her pupils dilated, her eyes grew wide. "Kiera."

"No. Your _real_ name. Not the name that has no records."

She swallowed, the lump visible in her neck. Before she could answer, she leaned forward, screaming out in pain. "It hurts."

"I need to take off your underwear," Maura said, moving to the bottom of her legs. Kiera presses her knees together firmly. "No baby is going to come out of there without me taking off your underwear."

"Okay," she said, opening her legs far enough for Maura to pull the damp fabric from her thighs.

"Oh my."

"What is it?" Kiera asked, trying to sit up higher.

Maura rested her hand against her knee. "It's okay. I can see the head. The baby is on its way."

"What?" Jane stood beside them. The towels in her hand landed on the floor. "I thought there'd be time. I called an ambulance."

"We may still need the ambulance," Maura said, picking up one of the towels and laying it down beneath Kiera's legs. "Kiera, I need you to tell me your real name."

"It hurts too much," she said, a long grunt escaped her lips. "Please. Make it stop."

"The baby will be here soon." The softness of her voice became more abrupt. "Tell me."

"Amy," she whispered, her voice grew louder. "Amy Jones."

Maura froze. She lifted her gaze slowly, until her eyes latched onto Kiera/Amy's. Her throat lacked the moisture she needed to swallow effectively.

"Is that even your real name or is it another fake?" Jane asked, crouching down beside Maura.

"Harriet's little sister." Maura stared deeper into her eyes, could see the familiarity she hadn't noticed before. The small child with bleach blonde hair and soft features had grown taller; her hair darker, her skin had developed a healthy glow. Her features had sharpened, and though she had comparisons to Harriet, looked more like the father Maura had only met a few times.

Before anyone could say another word, Kiera/Amy doubled over, her hands wrapped around her bump. She opened her mouth and let out an ear piercing screaming, then gritted her teeth.

"The woman you were gonna have a baby with?" Jane asked, staring from Maura to Amy and back again. "What the fuck?"

Amy's teeth ground together, a loud moan passed out of any free space in her mouth. She sat back, sweat poured across her face and down her neck. She stared at Maura as though something terrible had happened, but her words trailed off. "I think..."

The briefest of movements between Amy's legs pushed Maura back into action. She peered down between Amy's legs to the baby, halfway out of her body. She cupped her hands around the head, cradling the baby as Amy pushed again a moment later and the baby was delivered into the world.

Jane handed over another towel, without a word, and Maura wrapped the child up. "I'm going to leave the umbilical cord attached, Amy. We can deal with it when the placenta has been delivered."

"Why?" she asked, attempting to glance down at the baby.

"There's research to suggest it has benefit for the baby. Is that okay?"

"Yes. Whatever's best for the baby."

Maura rubbed the baby's stomach and cleaned off his mouth until a few small cries filled the air and the tension in Maura's shoulders relaxed.

"Amy," she whispered, lifting the child up onto her chest. She had a world of things to say, and yet her voice trailed off into the silence.

The baby rested on Amy's chest, her hand cupped around his back. Maura sat back on her heels, her heart rate slowed as the excitement settled down. Tears pricked at her eyes. Fingers tickled her skin and she turned her hand over, allowing Jane to interlink her fingers with Maura's.

"I love you," Jane whispered, resting her head on Maura's shoulder.

Maura lowered her head against Jane's. "I love you too."


	10. Chapter 10

**Author Notes : I had the *most* relaxing weekend. If you're ever extremely stressed out and can afford a spa weekend, I definitely recommend it. Massage, facial, relaxation, it was all so amazing. I'm more relaxed right now than I have been in a long time, ahead of my week off work. So, onward with the story...**

* * *

The hospital room filled with medical personnel. Maura sat on the chair beside the bed; Amy's fingers wrapped around her hand like a baby latching onto its parent. A nurse at her other side. The actual baby was tucked up in a crib beside them; a second nurse fawned over him, checking his temperature. His tiny arms and legs pushed against the swaddling.

"He seems healthy," Maura whispered, forging a smile as she stared into Amy's terrified eyes.

"I shouldn't have lied. Ouch!" The other nurse at her side stared at her until she kept her arm steady, long enough to finish inputting the cannula.

Maura pressed her lips together. "No. You should not. Are you going to tell me what really happened?"

"I…" Amy opened her mouth but no further words came out. The nurse at her side hooked up an IV bag and She stared in awe as the nurse carried the baby over to her, resting him into her arms before either of them could protest. "He's so beautiful."

"He is." Maura stood at her side. She rested a hand on her shoulder, her other fingers danced across the baby's cheek.

The child who could possibly be her son. Her child. Her flesh and blood. Her heart swelled in a way she didn't know was possible. Expectation sending her body into a state of excitement, joy, and most of all, overwhelming love.

"Do you want to hold him?" Amy asked, lifting him up towards her.

She hesitated, but scooped him up anyway. She stared into his big, wide eyes, so full of life. Yet knowing so little about the state of the world around them. Maura stroked the back of his tiny hand that poked out of the top of the blanket. A tiny crease formed between her eyebrows.

Amy's voice startled her out of her reverie. "He's perfect, isn't it?"

"Yes." Maura reached forward to lower the child back into her arms, but Amy shook her head. "He's perfect."

Both nurses left the room. Amy leaned her head back, her eyes trailed up to the IV bag beside the bed. "Do you know why I have that?"

"If they think there's a risk of haemorrhage they may insert a drip. I imagine they'll be monitoring you closely."

"Oh."

"I'm sure there's nothing to worry about."

The baby yawned, his eyes closed for a moment, then opened again, less than before. His lips pressed together. Maura swallowed a lump that settled in the back of her throat. She smiled. He was a beautiful boy, his chubby red cheeks and mess of dark hair were enough to make anyone coo at the sight of him.

"What's happening?" Jane asked, slipping her head around the doorframe. "Can I come in?"

"Please," Amy said, motioning for Jane to enter the room. "You and Maura are going to make fantastic parents."

Maura cleared her throat and carried the baby around the bed toward the crib. Jane followed, wrapping her hands around her arm. "Can I hold him?"

"I…" Maura nodded and reached towards her outstretched arms.

Jane let the boy settle into her arms before she carried him over to the vacant chair, where she perched, steadying herself long enough for the baby to settle sleepily in her arms. She stroked her fingers across his chin and across his balled up fist. "It's easy to forget how tiny newborn babies are."

"It is," Maura said, heading towards the door. She stared out of the small window into the corridor. A nurse hovered by another door, a patient walked along with her buttocks hanging out of the back of her gown. A man carried a large, pink balloon in one hand, and moved a walking stick forward with the other. She let out a soft sigh.

"Does he have a name?" Jane asked.

"Not yet," Maura said, at the exact moment Amy piped up.

"Jake."

Jane stared at Amy, her face twisted up. "Wait, shouldn't it be up to Maura?"

"Oh." Amy shrugged. "Yeah. I guess."

A long silence followed. Jane's attention returned to the baby, who slept peacefully in her arms. Maura turned to watch them, every dream she ever had of sharing a child with Jane was represented in that moment. She wanted to photograph it. To capture it for the future, to remember the preciousness of those seconds.

"We should go." Maura reached out to the baby. "You and Jake need some sleep."

Jane hugged the boy a little tighter in her arms. "You're gonna let her name him?"

"It's fine." Maura held her hands out again, and Jane handed him over. "We should go home."

"You don't need to," Amy said. "We need you."

"You've been through a traumatic birth, perhaps not as traumatic as some, but a difficult experience nonetheless. You and the baby need some time to recuperate before we return."

Amy's eyes danced back and forth between Maura, Jane and the baby, the line between her eyes deepened. "You can't."

"We'll be back tomorrow."

"That's too long." Amy tried to sit up, but her cannula tugged, causing her eyes to scrunch up. "Please."

"You won't even notice we've gone," Maura said, forging a smile. She lowered the child into the crib and tucked his blanket tightly around him. She ran a finger across his cheek. "Come on, Jane. We all need some rest."

x

Jane didn't say a word on the drive home. She didn't know what to say, or how to say it. The tension was almost painful. She kept glancing over at Maura, cautiously optimistic that the crease between her brows was something of nothing.

When they entered the bedroom and stripped off their clothes, Jane didn't speak, just tossed her bra into the washing basket and hoped Maura would be willing to say something eventually.

In bed, the silence had become untenable and Jane let out a long, loud sigh.

"What's wrong?" Maura asked, glancing over at her.

"Nothing." Jane frowned. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing." Maura said, though the shake of her voice betrayed her composure.

"Don't pretend," Jane said, sliding down under the bedsheets. Maura climbed in beside her and they lay side by side, the darkness surrounded them as Maura shut off the light. She tucked her fingers around Maura's hand and leaned her head against her shoulder. "Talk to me."

She didn't say anything at first. Jane closed her eyes, begging Maura to say something, no matter how small.

"It's been a long day. Overwhelming."

"That's it?" Jane kissed her cheek. "Are you sure?"

Maura turned her head, capturing Jane's lips with her own. She stared deep into her eyes. "Make love to me."

"Now?" Jane shook her head. "You wanted to rest. It's late."

"Please."

Desperation in her voice broke Jane's heart. Something wasn't right, but Maura wasn't willing to share it. She tried to protest, but Maura pressed her lips to hers again and she didn't know what else to do. It hurt knowing that something wasn't right, that Maura wasn't as gleefully happy as Jane expected her to be. The child was their dream, whether they'd discussed it properly or not.

"Don't push me away," Jane whispered, climbing on top of her. She captured her lips, her hands trailed across fabric, pushing material to one side.

Maura trailed kisses along her collarbone. She tugged her tshirt off her body and nibbled on her earlobe. "I love you."

"I love you," Jane said, about to say something more when Maura's fingers slipped expertly into her shorts. She gasped, her heart race sped along with the speed of Maura's actions.

She kept her mouth shut and gave in to the feelings that surrounded them. Despite the tension, the elephant in the room, they danced together through the night, until they were both too exhausted to do anything more. Maura drifted off to sleep first. Jane untangled herself from Maura's body, trying not to feel disappointment that she wasn't able to reach a repeated high. She pressed her lips to the side of Maura's head as gentle sleepy breaths escaped her lips, and stroked her hair back from her face.

It was already three in the morning. Jane lay on her back, the bedsheets pushed away, heat burning between her legs. She teased her skin, imagining the things that Maura would have done to her if she hadn't fallen asleep, until she felt herself topple over the edge once more, and she could drift off.

x

By five, Maura was wide awake. Her body and heart ached. She watched Jane sleep for a moment, before climbing out of the bed. She picked her clothes out for the day, and placed them in a day bag. She left the house shortly after, her hair was tussled at the sides, her body was still coated in sweat and bodily fluids. She hoped it was early enough to sneak into her office and use the office shower before anyone else could catch her looking like a sex obsessed insomniac.

Once she'd showered and dressed, she walked down the street to the bakery that opened early and picked up a croissant and a cup of hot coffee. It was going to be a long day and she needed some sustenance.

x

The alarm screamed out for Jane to wake up. She rolled over, her heart raced as she rushed to shut up her cellphone. When she picked it up, she remembered she hadn't even set the alarm, and Frankie pulling a silly face with Eli filled her screen.

"What?" she asked, leaning back down on the bed, the back of her hand against her forehead.

"Good morning to you too," he said. "Got some news for you."

Jane sat upright. "Is the baby okay? Amy didn't do something stupid, did she?"

A silence drew on longer than Jane felt comfortable with. "Who the hell is Amy?"

"Kiera."

"What?"

Jane grunted. "Frankie, tell me what the fuck happened."

"John Doe woke up."

"David? Oh." Jane jumped out of bed and pulled on a pair of sweatpants. She headed towards the door, then thought better of it. "I need to shower, meet you at the hospital?"

x

The office door slammed shut, startling Maura. She sat upright, her eyes landed on Jane, who stared at her. She didn't speak. She didn't have anything to say.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Jane asked, waving her hands up at her sides.

"Working," Maura said, though she thought it was pretty obvious. She had a job. "Just because Amy had the baby, doesn't mean people aren't still being murdered across the city."

Jane stared at her. "Funny that, Frankie's not had a call about a body in the last twenty-four hours."

"Frankie isn't the only homicide detective in Boston."

"Bullshit." Jane walked toward the desk. She rested her hands on the edge and leaned forward, staring deep into Maura's eyes. "What are you doing?"

"I've told you. Working."

"David is awake."

"Oh. Are you going to go and see him?"

"I was, but then I decided I should find you first. I didn't expect to find you sat behind your desk doing paperwork."

"With everything that happened with Amy, I'm behind." Maura clicked save on the computer file she'd been working on. "I don't have time to go to the hospital today."

"You don't have time to see David and find out why Amy nearly killed him, or, you don't have time to go to the hospital, period?"

Maura placed a pen back into her desk tidy and stood up. "I don't have time to go to the hospital, period."

The look of derision in Jane's eyes was enough to anger her. She was exhausted. Too much had happened in such a short space of time, and she simply hadn't had enough sleep. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words wouldn't form. When Jane's eyes softened, she felt tears prick at her eyelids.

"Oh Maura," Jane whispered, her arms outstretched. Maura stepped into them. "What's going on?"

"He's not mine," Maura muttered, so quiet that it was barely audible.

"What do you mean?"

Maura sighed. "The baby. Jake. When I held him last night, I just knew. Roger provided enough photographic evidence, and I know my own blood line well enough to know that Jake is not our son."

"You can't know that for sure," Jane said, shaking her head. "He's too little."

"I do, Jane." She swiped the back of her hand across her eyelids. "He looks so much like Harriet, like Amy, there's no way he's my child."

* * *

 **Author Note : I'm sorry. Sometimes these things need to happen.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Author Note** **: Productivity seems to be happening *thumbs up* just one more chapter after this one...**

* * *

Tchaikovsky played through the car as Jane drove them from Boston Police Department to the hospital. Maura kept her eyes closed, breathing to the beat of the music in an attempt to relax her fractured mind. She hadn't realised how desperately she'd wanted a child until the prospect was taken away from her.

"Do you think she'll still be there when we arrive?" Jane asked.

"I don't know." With Amy, anything was possible, that much was evident. "Maybe we should visit David first."

"Don't you want answers from Amy?"

"I'm not sure I'd believe what she said," Maura said, opening her eyes. "If we can speak to David, maybe we can find out what relationship he had with Amy and why she's here. Surely she knew the baby wasn't mine."

On exiting the car, Maura interlinked her fingers with Jane's, and didn't let go regardless of any reason to do so. She stayed close by, unsure of what to say when they arrived in the maternity wing. If she needed to say anything.

"Detective Burke," Jane said, on approaching the hospital room.

He stood upright. "Detective Rizzoli. Doctor Isles."

"What's going on?" Jane asked, looking past him at the window into the hospital room.

"Amy Jones is under arrest." He folded his arms across his chest. "She seriously injured a man, as you well know. What I don't understand yet is why neither of you thought it pertinent to call me?"

Jane sighed. "Give us a break, Burke. Amy had a baby last night. We didn't get home until late."

"She could have fled."

"She didn't." Jane pushed past him and reached for the door handle. "Come on Maura."

"No." Burke reached a hand out and stopped her from opening the door. "I'm waiting for Hartley to pick up the camera equipment. Once he gets here we're gonna interview her; only medical personnel past this point until further notice."

"It's fine." Maura wrapped her hand tightly around Jane's arm and pulled her away. "We can go…do something else."

Jane's eyebrows tugged together, but she followed Maura back down the corridor and out of the maternity unit. "I can't believe he's stopping us from seeing Jake."

"He's just doing his job," Maura said, letting go of Jane's arm. They wandered through the hospital and up one level. "David's here, we can just go and see him, and then when we're done maybe Burke will let us at least see the baby."

The hospital room door was wide open when they arrived. A doctor left, disappearing around a corner before either of them could approach him. Maura hesitated in the doorway. She tucked her hand back into Jane's and cleared her throat.

David Kowalski sat up in the bed, an IV attached to his arm, but the other tubes and wires had been removed. He had a nasty bruise on the side of her face. A smile spread across his features.

"Hey, can I help you?" he asked, his cognitive functions appeared to be intact, much to Maura's relief.

She let go of Jane's hand and stepped forward, conscious of her staying close behind. She stopped beside the end of the bed. "My name is Doctor Maura Isles, you were injured in my home. We wanted to find out what you were doing there, why you wanted Amy Jones."

"Amy?" he asked, his face contorted. "I don't know who you mean."

"Apologies," she said. "You might have known her as Kiera Sarker."

"Oh." He sat up a little taller, confusion still etched on his features. "I didn't realise Kiera wasn't her name."

"Kiera…Amy…how do you know her?"

He shifted a little on the bed. "We were dating."

"Did you ever hit her?" Jane asked, stepping up beside Maura, her eyebrows high. "What did you do to her to make her so scared of you?"

He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I don't understand why you're asking me these questions. I never laid a finger on her."

"Do you know why Amy might be scared of you?" Maura asked, lowering herself into the chair beside the bed. She leaned forward. "What happened when you stopped dating?"

A gentle chuckle escaped his lips until he was folded over, his face scrunched up in pain as he laughed continuously. "I don't know what she's told you, but I don't think she knows what she's saying."

"That's a likely story." Jane folded her arms across her chest. "I know when someone is scared."

"What is this? The Spanish inquisition? They said a detective might come by, but I didn't expect someone like you."

Maura stared at Jane, her eyes wide in warning. She turned back to David. "I'm sorry, Mr Kowalski. We're concerned about Amy, and her son."

"Her…" he tried to speak, but the words caught in his throat. "I have a son?"

The last shred of hope that maybe the baby could be hers dissipated in his words. Maura chewed the inside of her lip until she pushed away the desire to cry. Before she could speak again, Jane had already continued.

"The baby's yours?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "We got pregnant and then she started acting really strange, like she didn't care about me, just the baby. I was happy. I want to be a father. It's no secret that Kiera and I are not the most conventional of couples. She's nearly fifteen years younger than me. When she changed I couldn't handle it anymore. I tried to end things and she cut me off. The last time I saw her before she came here, she was climbing down the fire escape of her apartment."

"How do you know the baby is yours?" Maura asked, staring at him. "How do you know she's telling you the truth?"

He frowned again. "Before we got pregnant everything was fine. We wanted this baby. He wasn't unplanned. We made him out of love. It was only after that she changed. As far as I know, she'd never been with anyone else, let alone anyone at the same time as me. I'll do a DNA test, whatever it takes."

Jane rested a hand around Maura's shoulders. She leaned down. "It's okay."

"David," Maura said, gripping hold of Jane's hand on her shoulder. "Amy is going to be arrested for harming you. Detective Burke, who's dealing with the case, is with her as we speak. He's going to press charges."

"I don't want that."

"It's too late," Jane said. "Burke's out for her blood. What she did was wrong."

"What about the baby?" He sat forward, his eyes grew wide. "If she's arrested, what happens to the baby?"

"Child protective services will be contacted," Jane said. "Unless someone, a family member, is willing to look after the child."

"Me." He sat further forward. "Please don't let them take him into care. He's my son. The doctor said I'm doing well and can home in a few days. I want to be a father; I don't want to lose him. That's why I came here, for him, so I could be there for my child."

Jane shrugged. "I'll speak to Burke, make sure he knows. He might still have to call someone, but they can help you out."

x

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Jane asked, cupping her cheeks and placing her lips against Maura's. "Burke's not happy that we spoke to David, but he's not a baby person."

"I'll be fine," Maura said. "Jake needs his father."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

Jane sighed. "Don't you want them to check? There's still a chance."

Maura shook her head. "I know, Jane. I know he's not mine. Besides, they checked on David and he's an upstanding member of society. He'll do right by Jake. I'm okay with that."

"Are you?" Jane's fingers trailed down the back of her neck. "You look sad."

"Did I want the baby to be mine? Yes," Maura said, covering Jane's hands. "Am I disappointed he's not? Of course. Do I want to do the right thing and make sure he's with his father? That's the most important thing."

"I don't want to leave you to do this alone."

"You have a job, you can't just abandon it. Carter's already angry with you about Tuck. You need to look after your job or you'll lose it. I can take Jake to his father, I'll be fine."

Jane gritted her teeth. "I don't wanna leave you to do it alone."

"I won't be alone. David will be there."

"What if we adopted him?" Jane asked. "He could be our son. It doesn't matter whose blood he has. We could be parents. We could be _his_ parents."

She stepped out of Jane's arms and turned around. "No. I can't do that to David. To Jake. He deserves a family."

"He can have a family. You and me, he'd have a cousin, and aunts and uncles. He'd have so many people around him."

Maura shook her head, tears strolled down her nose. "No. Jane. Stop. He's David's. It doesn't matter how much I wanted him, how much I still want him. He's not ours."

Silence descended upon them. Jane reached out a hand to Maura's cheek, but she turned away and headed down the corridor.

"See you at home."

"But," Jane began, her voice drifted off as Maura disappeared into the hospital room. She grasped at the sides of her shirt, digging her fingers into her thighs as she pushed aside the threat of tears.

x

"Knock, knock," Maura said, the baby swaddled in her arms. She grinned down at Jake, his eyes wide with wonder as he stared at the lights. She looked up at David, who stared back with glee. "Come and meet your daddy."

"Oh God," David whispered, his hand lifted to his mouth. "He looks like me."

Maura stared into Jake's eyes, committing his facial features to memory, then looked up at David. At features that were so much like Harriet's and yet so much like this man's. She gave him a brief kiss on the forehead and lowered him into David's waiting arms. "Support the head."

Tears landed on Jake's arm, strolling off the end of David's nose. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Maura said, standing beside them. He stroked a finger across Jake's cheek and stared in wonder as the boy wriggled, gripping his finger tightly. Maura backed away. "I'll leave you to your family."

He lifted his head up before she could turn. "Wait, you don't have to go yet. At least tell me what she named him."

Maura shrugged. "He's a day old; you can name him anything you wish."

David sighed. "I have my whole life to give him nicknames, what did Kiera…sorry, Amy, want to name him?" 

"Jake," Maura said, forging a smile.

"Jake." He stared down at his son, repeating the name several times. "Jacob. If she's going to miss part of his life, the least I can do is let her name him. It suits him."

"It does."

She stood in the doorway for a few more minutes, listening to the sound of David talking to his son. When a nurse came by with a crib and supplies, she slipped out the door and headed for the exit. The day had taken its toll. Exhaustion hit her hard as she stood in the entrance waiting for an Uber.

x

Back at the house, she lay on the couch. Her cell rang, and she rolled onto her side as she answered.

"So, she didn't even take the eggs?" Maura asked, confusion etched on her face. The days' events made the news less significant, but it still pained her all the same. She yawned, and shut off the cell phone. She shook her head. It had taken longer she'd hoped to find out for sure what had happened. If only she'd instructed her lawyer to contact the clinic sooner, maybe she wouldn't have had to go through the last few days. Maybe she could have put it behind her long ago.

She took a nap on the couch, waking to find Jane was already home and dinner was in the oven. She poured herself a glass of wine and stood in the kitchen, unsure of what to do next.

"It's gonna be okay," Jane whispered, wrapping herself around Maura's body and planting soft kisses along her neck. "We're gonna be fine."

"I still have eggs," Maura said. "She didn't take any of them."

" _Oh_." Jane held her at arm's length, staring into her eyes. "What does that mean?"

"I don't know."

Jane sighed. "I want a baby, Maura. I want a child with you."

"I don't know if I can use those eggs." She burrowed her face against Jane's neck. "I want a baby too, but I don't know if I can do it like that."

"It's okay." Jane wrapped her arms tightly around her back. "We'll find a way, when we're ready."


	12. Chapter 12

**Author Note** **: Well, here we are at the end. I hope you've enjoyed it, thank you all for the interactions.**

* * *

 **Two years later**

Maura stood by her car in the parking lot. The sun shone high up in the sky, a little too hot for comfort. A loud buzzer signalled the opening of the gate. She stood up taller. Framingham jail was a formidable place and yet Maura no longer felt discomfort at visiting. Amy exited into the parking lot; a clear plastic bag with a small number of her belongings slung over one shoulder. Her hair was a little longer than the last time she saw her.

"Good afternoon," Maura said, her lips curved at the edges.

"Thanks for picking me up." Amy stopped in front of her. She glanced around the parking lot, cautious in her movements. "I tried to call David but he didn't answer."

Maura sighed. She didn't really want to be the one to explain. "David moved to California. He got a new job."

"Oh." Amy pressed her lips together, and ran a finger beneath her eyes. "I thought they'd be here when I got out."

"You knew that wasn't going to happen," Maura said. "David told me he visited. You know he wasn't going to wait for you."

"I know." She shook her head. "I just didn't want to believe it."

Maura rested a hand on Amy's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'm proud of you. You've come a long way since you pleaded guilty. I hope you'll have a better life now."

"I want that," Amy said. "I know David doesn't want me, but I want to be there for Jake. I'm going to fight to see him again."

"David doesn't want to stop you from having a relationship with your son," Maura said, taking the bag out of Amy's hand and placing it in the back seat of the car. "He wants you to be in his life. He just wants you to be in a good place before that happens."

Amy nodded. "I've been patient, and I'll do what it takes to see him again."

"I'm glad." Maura climbed into the front seat. Amy sat in the passenger seat, her hands tucked under her thighs. "The apartment in the supported complex has six months on the lease, I've co-signed, they know your history. You'll have a support worker who will help you to find a job, get back on your feet."

She switched on the engine and put the car into drive. Neither of them said anything as Maura turned onto the main road and drove back towards the city.

A few miles down the road, Amy rested a hand on Maura's shoulder. "Thank you. For everything. You didn't need to come and visit me, you didn't need to help me sort myself out when I got out."

"I did." Maura smiled and gave her hand a squeeze. "Harriet should have been here to be there for you. In her absence, I couldn't leave you to do it alone."

"I think Harriet would be glad to know what you've done for me."

"No more so than how proud she'd be of you."

Amy scoffed. "I've been inside for two years, my parents have given up on me. What's there to be proud of?"

Maura returned her hand to the wheel, turning her head slightly. "Amy. You were so young when you lost Harriet, without the right kind of support, any child would end up like you have. I'm just sorry I wasn't around in your formative years to do more for you when you needed it. But you're getting help now, that's what matters. The work you've done in jail to fix your life, despite the environment, that's something to be proud of."

Another silence descended upon them. Maura focused her attention on the open road, ignoring the awkwardness of their silence. She'd faced enough awkward moments in her life that it almost didn't matter.

"How's Jane?" Amy asked. "You're still happy?"

"Yes." Maura's lips curved, the smile stretched right up to her eyes as she thought about her. "She's well, thank you for asking."

"Did it happen yet?"

The uncontrollable smile that forced its way onto her face made her cheekbones ache. "Not yet. After I drop you off."

"How are you feeling?"

"Excited. Nervous." Maura sighed. "Like my heart could burst."

"I'm glad," Amy said. "I know I've said it before but I am so sorry for what I did back then. I should never have made you think I was carrying something so important as your child."

"That's all in the past." Maura's smile never faltered. "Let's look to the future. To the life you're going to get back, and to your son."

"Thanks again for sorting out somewhere for me to live; I've heard horrific stories about the hostels. I didn't like the idea of trying to sort myself out in a place like that."

"Neither did I," Maura said. "Now you've got a chance, and so does Jake."

Amy pressed the button on the stereo, twisting the knob until a radio station played music throughout the car. Maura focused her attention once again completely on the road ahead. Today was a good day, it had the possibility of being a great day, and nothing was going to ruin that.

x

"You're late!" Jane said, resting a hand on Maura's hip and kissing her cheek. "I thought you were never gonna get here."

"Sorry," Maura said. "The housing provider wanted me to sign some more paperwork."

"You're amazing, you know that, don't you?" Jane said, her fingers still trailed across Maura's back as they walked towards the entrance of the building. "I'm so excited to call you my wife."

"Four months," Maura said. "I'm surprised it's taken us so long to finally go through with the ceremony."

"We've been busy." Jane tucked her hand around Maura's waist; their bodies brushed together as they walked. "I wouldn't change it for the world."

"Do you ever wish we could do things the way you wanted?"

"Not for a second." Jane reached out to the door and held it open for Maura. "If getting married means we can be a proper family, then I wouldn't change it for anything."

"About time!" A short woman with grey shoulder length hair approached them, her smile wide and her eyes soft. "He's been talking about you all morning. We're finally here, how are you both feeling?"

"Excited," Jane said.

"Nervous," Maura added. "It's good to see you Marjorie."

"You'll be fine," she said, patting them both on the shoulder. "You know each other well enough now."

She walked towards another door. Jane and Maura followed, their fingers interlinked between them. Jane's fingers were sticky, or maybe it was Maura's. She couldn't be too sure, and in many ways it didn't matter. They'd waited two years for this moment.

"You okay?" Jane whispered to Maura.

"I will be, once he's home," Maura said.

"Same."

Marjorie opened another door. On the other side, toys cluttered the room in each and every direction. Maura squeezed Jane's hand so tight she thought she might lose sensation altogether. A little boy sat at a table on the other side of the room, colouring in a picture, with another woman. He lifted his head, his eyes wide and his smile grew to exponential proportions.

"Stevie," Marjorie said. "Your new Moms have come to pick you up."

He jumped out of the chair and ran across the room, stumbling a little on his little stubby legs. He righted himself and stopped only when he collided with Jane's knees.

"Slow down there buddy," she said, scooping him up onto her hip and planting a kiss on his cheek. "We want to take you home, not to the hospital."

"Jane," he said, pressing her nose with his finger. He reached out to Maura's. "Maura."

"You can call us Mommy if you'd like," Maura said, running a hand through his light brown hair. He reached his arms out around her neck and Jane handed him over.

"Maybe." He wriggled in her arms until she put him back down on the floor. He rushed back to the woman by the table. "Bag and coat."

"Hey, Stevie," Jane said, pulling a small chocolate bar out of her pocket. She glanced nervously at Marjorie. "Do you want a treat?"

"Don't look so worried," she said. "You've signed the paperwork. You can give him chocolate, as long as it's not every meal, we don't mind."

"Good," she said, walking across the room and handing the bar over. Stevie grinned and held it in his hand. "I'll get your bag, we're going home."

"Home." He stared from Jane, to Maura, to Marjorie and the woman, and back again. "My home."

"That's right," Maura said. "Your home, and guess what we're doing tomorrow?"

"What?" 

"Having a party," Maura said, resting her hand against his shoulder.

"A birthday?"

Maura laughed. "No, you won't be four for another six months."

"But there will be cake," Jane said.

"We're having a party to celebrate us becoming a family. You'll get to meet your new grandma; she's so excited to meet you, and your uncles and aunt, and cousins."

"What's cousin?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders.

Jane scooped him back up and carried him towards the door. "A cousin is a bit like a brother or sister, but better, because you don't have to live together. TJ, Eli and Emma are my brothers' kids. TJ and Eli ate a little bit older than you, but they can't wait to have a new cousin to play with. Emma is a baby, so she doesn't really know what's going on."

"Three cousins?" Stevie's mouth hung wide. He wrapped his arms tightly around Jane's neck. "I love you, Mommys."

"We love you too, Stevie," Maura said, reaching up and kissing him on the cheek. "Let's go home."


End file.
